RE: Vamped
by valxra
Summary: Reborn into a world that is full of hidden agendas, the supernatural, and annoying politics... All she has is the memories of a stupid fictional series. [SI-OC]
1. turn your tears to roses

_i._

 **chapter one** \- _turn your tears to roses  
:-:-: _theme; _whispers in the dark_ by _skillet :-:-:_

* * *

Life sucks. Everyone knows that, but do you know what sucks even _more_? Having to relive your life all over again. Only, here's the catch— it isn't really your life; it's someone else's. You've died —you've been reborn— and now you must be another person, in _another_ timeline entirely.

Welcome to mental immortality; it's not as great as you'd think.

She doesn't remember much about her death, or even the life she had before then. She just remembers that she had one. That she had been _someone_ , and that she knew and loved enough people for them to mourn her passing. She would be missed, and that was all she needed in order to move on. No strings attached, and nothing to slow her down.

There was one other thing she remembered. Honestly, she thought that it was pretty useless information considering that she was stuck alone in the dark, just drifting in and out of consciousness.

She remembered a series... She thought it was categorized as a manga, or an anime— possibly both. The name of the series was Vampire Knight. Though she couldn't remember reading it or watching it; she just recalled the characters, the events that took place within the story, and all the conflicts in between.

It was stupid. Out of all the things she could keep with her, a fictional _story_ was what remained on her mind.

Of course this meant that after she was born she spent most of her early days thinking about how _useless_ those memories were. She had a new life now, so what was the point of knowing about a series that probably didn't even exist in this world? There was no point— that was the answer to that.

Ramblings aside— long story short, she died and was reborn. This all led to where she was now: in a crib. She wasn't alone however, as she shared her crib with another infant. Like her, the other was quiet, simply staring up at the mobile that dangled above their heads. One of the child's hands acted as a pacifier, while the other one held onto her with a _surprisingly_ tight grip.

She didn't know much about it, other than the obvious: the infant was apparently her twin. Due to her terrible sense of time however, she wasn't sure how old they both were. The baby was old enough for her to pinpoint two of its main features: they had a mop of brown hair on their head, and red-brownish eyes. The baby's overall coloring kind of reminded her of a candy apple… As for what gender her new sibling was, she had no idea.

Other than a new sibling, she was also gifted with two new parents, though sometimes the servants were more present than they were. From what she could tell, her new family was pretty well off and so they must be into some kind of business or politics. She didn't resent them for not being there, as there wasn't really much for them to miss… She and her twin were still babbling infants who only cried and slept for the most part.

Their parents were both beautiful, and looked...eerily like they were related. Her mother had long, dark brown hair that was typically always down, showcasing how curly and messy it was. Her eyes were big and the same color brown as her hair, yet, she didn't look average because of it— if anything, her beauty was even more pronounced. Her father's hair was a darker brown than her mother's, and was cut short to the nape of his neck. His eyes were a rich _garnet_ color, that obviously shouldn't be natural so… she was quick to realize that she was inside the series from her memories.

Everything seemed to _click_ when she noticed the odd coloring. Those eyes were familiar to her, because they belonged to the man in her memories.

With some more deductions and observations on her part, she came to the conclusion that Haruka and Juri Kuran were her parents, and the twin that lay beside her was none other than the _original_ Kaname Kuran. She had been reborn into this _fictional_ world as Shiori Kuran, who by all means shouldn't exist.

Ah yes, she had definitely landed herself into a shitfest.

Vampires are most active at night because they typically sleep during the day. Not because the sunlight can cause them physical damage, but because they're sensitive to it. At most, it just hurts their eyes. So with that said, vampires should be asleep when the sun is up, but unfortunately for Shiori, it wasn't that easy. Her internal clock from her past life must have carried over because Shiori could never seem to fall asleep when she was supposed to, and it was bothering the servants to no end.

Mana Deguchi, a rather new servant of the Kuran household, was the one to step forward and attempt to calm the crying twins. At first, it had only been Shiori who was crying, frustrated that she couldn't fall asleep when she willed herself to, but Kaname woke up soon after when he sensed his sister's distress. Mana was beginning to regret tasking herself with this, because it seemed no matter what she did the Kuran twins wouldn't cease their crying.

Shiori would have felt pity for the young vampire if she wasn't so lost within her own problems. Things had been much easier for her when she was first born, as her mind was too hazy and out of focus for her to comprehend everything. But now that she was _aware_ of herself and her situation, Shiori found life to be much more bothersome. Adapting to this new life was going to be harder than she had originally anticipated.

"Shiori-sama, Kaname-sama…" Mana sighed, trying once again to sooth the children with her voice. "Hush now, it's time to rest. Your parents will be home soon and they'll be expecting you to be asleep."

"That's correct," Mana gasped at the sudden voice, turning around quickly to face it. Juri Kuran stood in the nursery's doorway, a serene smile on her face as she looked inside. "Are they causing trouble again?"

"K-Kuran-sama!" Mana quickly folded herself in a bow, her arms stuck to her sides as she kept her head down. "T-They have been no trouble at all, my lady!"

Juri laughed modestly, stepping further into the room as she told Mana to keep her head up. "Worry not, Deguchi-san. I'll take over from here."

"Of course, Kuran-sama!" Mana bowed once again. "I will excuse myself then— H-Have a good day!"

"You as well, Deguchi-san." The pureblood said with a smile, waving Mana off as she finally exited the room, leaving the crying twins in Juri's care. Her attention turned to them as she approached the crib they laid in, still crying with too much energy. "My beautiful children," She hummed, caressing their cheeks. The eldest twin, Kaname, quieted down at her touch, blinking his reddish-brown eyes up at her curiously. Shiori's cries lessened, but unfortunately did not stop.

Juri began to rock the crib, "You're tired, aren't you? Don't worry Okaa-san, will help you out." The room was soon filled with Juri's soft, melodic voice. Shiori's cries finally began to cease as her eyes began to slowly close. Kaname was close behind her, falling asleep just as his small hand grasped onto hers. Juri smiled at the sight. Their love for each other would surely be strong, just like their parents'…

Juri couldn't wait to see it blossom.

* * *

Months passed and it seemed like Shiori had finally gotten used to her new life. It was probably easier to do without her past memories to slow her down, otherwise, she'd probably compare a lot of things to the way they were before she had died.

Shiori spent most of her time with her twin brother, but that was a given considering he was all she really had most of the time. The servants only bothered them when they needed to, and their parents could only interact with them when they weren't busy. So Kaname was Shiori's source of entertainment and kept her from going insane due to sheer boredom.

Today was one of those rare days where they were able to spend time with their parents. Well, one of them at least. Juri was off visiting some noble vampires of the Ichijō household, so it was Haruka who would receive all of the twins attention today… or that was what Shiori initially thought.

"Kaname, Shiori." Haruka entered the nursery with a strained smile on his face, causing Shiori to scrutinize his every action. Her father had never once showed an _ungenuine_ smile to them, so seeing him with one was definitely a first. Kaname, of course, didn't notice their father's odd behavior, but he _did_ smell the other vampire that was behind him. Shiori could smell the stranger as well, her curiosity peaking when she recognized it to be similar to her father and mother's. "Would you like to meet your uncle?"

At that, Haruka stepped further into the room, allowing the vampire behind him to enter as well. Shiori's breath caught in her throat, her quiet gurgles immediately ceasing at the sight of the infamous _pureblood_ vampire. His appearance resembled Haruka and Kaname's greatly, though his hair was certainly curlier. If anything, Shiori looked more like him than anyone else within their family. They both had curly, dark brown hair, and though she didn't have the same heterochromatic eyes, his garnet colored one matched with hers perfectly.

 _Rido Kuran_ seemed to notice their similarities as well, as a smug smile was quick to take over his face when his eyes landed on her. Haruka stood tense beside him as if he was unsure of what Rido would do next. The two brother's relationship was definitely rocky, but Rido had insisted on wanting to meet his niece and nephew…

"She has your eyes and hair color, otōto," Rido spoke as he knelt next to the twins. Kaname was leaning against his sister as he gnawed idly on a toy; Shiori was the only one who seemed to be paying attention to their uncle, but honestly she couldn't think of anything else to do. She was much too scared to tear her gaze away from the man, aware of what he was capable of. Rido took her attention in stride, gently stroking her cheek. "Ah, I can already tell that she'll grow up to be a very _beautiful_ woman…just like her mother."

Haruka didn't miss the way Rido seemed to completely disregard Kaname, or the way his gaze bored into Shiori. It looked almost _possessive_ , but Haruka wouldn't dare confront Rido without concrete proof of his intentions. He wasn't looking for another fight with his brother, and would prefer to keep the peace if he could. Meanwhile, Shiori was desperately trying not to burst into tears.

Shiori needed to keep herself calm and play the role she had made for herself as the innocent child. So instead of scooting away from Rido's touch, the young girl _leaned_ into it. A deep chuckle was released from the man at her reaction, and his pleased look grew. "I think she likes me already," He stated, looking at Haruka from over his shoulder.

Her father mutely nodded, forcing a smile, "It seems so."

"Oh, otōto—" Rido stood, scooping Shiori into his arms as he did so. Kaname slipped onto the floor at the loss of his support, whining a bit before Haruka came to his aid. "—don't tell me you're _jealous_."

"Hardly," Haruka managed a snort, lifting Kaname into his arms when the boy latched onto him. Rido continued to dote on Shiori, holding her to his chest and rocking her slightly. Though it was great that Rido showed no malice towards her, Haruka kept his eyes on them. Shiori was inwardly grateful for that, unsure about her uncle and his unpredictable tendencies.

Eventually, Haruka and Rido moved to the parlor, sitting on one of the many couches as they chatted. Kaname remained in Haruka's grasp, idly toying with the man's dark brown hair— and Rido kept Shiori in his hold, having made _no_ move whatsoever to interact with Kaname. Though Rido _would_ look at the boy every now and then, as if sizing him up… Whenever Shiori caught him doing this, her body would stiffen before drawing his attention back to her by tugging at his clothes. It worked every time, much to her relief.

By the time Rido had to leave, Shiori was asleep in his arms, tempting the man to stay longer. He had work to do however, and it wasn't like he couldn't visit his adorable niece again. So with a sigh, Rido stood as the conversation between him and Haruka faded. "I'll be off then. It's a shame really, it would have been nice to stay longer... "

Smiling politely, Haruka stood, Kaname stirring in his grasp from where he had been dozing off. "I understand that you have things to do. It was nice to have you over, though. We rarely hear from you as it is." The brunette shifted Kaname in his arms before holding an arm out towards Rido, waiting for him to hand Shiori over.

"I'll be sure to visit again," He took this time to nuzzle Shiori's cheek, enjoying the feel of her soft skin and her _delectable_ scent. Giving her a peck, Rido finally slipped his niece into Haruka's offered arm. If he had taken a second longer with Shiori, Rido was sure that his brother would have snatched the girl from his grasp. The fact that he was putting Haruka on edge made Rido smirk, "Goodbye for now, otōto."

All the tension left Haruka's body the moment he could no longer sense Rido's presence. He held his children close to his chest protectively, glaring at the spot his brother had been moments before. Rido was...the same as always. It was wishful thinking to hope that he had changed at least a little, putting their past and the rivalry they (still) had behind him. Though it _did_ look as if Rido was getting past his grudge for not being able to win over Juri, but it was in a way more unnerving…

His sight had shifted from Juri to _Shiori_.

That was how it appeared anyway. For all he knew, Rido could just be trying to rile him up and get under his skin. It was definitely working; making Haruka grow paranoid the longer his thoughts lingered on the theory.

Rido's true intentions were unclear, but it didn't matter. No matter what, Haruka would _not_ let him harm his children. He would die before he allowed that to happen.

Rido returned several weeks later, looking even more devious than he did previously. The air around him practically _screamed_ "up to no good" in Shiori's eyes. She felt overly anxious around him, despite the fact that both of her parents were present whenever he interacted with her and Kaname. Maybe she wouldn't be acting so alarmed if Rido's attention had remained on her like the first time he visited, but this time, his sights seemed to be on _Kaname_ and it was scaring her. Was it time? Was Rido going to sacrifice her baby brother in order to awaken their ancient ancestor? Shiori didn't want that, but she was too small and weak to do anything. She couldn't even form words properly or stand up on her legs yet.

All Shiori could do was wait for the inevitable.

The moment arrived sooner than Shiori expected, and it made a heavy weight fall over her. Everything seemed to fall into place like dominoes clashing in an orderly line, collapsing in the desired order that they had been built. She watched with somber eyes as Haruka and Juri were called away by a servant, leaving her and Kaname alone with their uncle. Not completely, as a maid quietly observed them from where she stood in the corner, waiting to be called upon if she was needed.

Rido paid her no mind though, towering over his niece and nephew with a _malicious_ grin on his face. Kaname is already crying, sensing the sinister intent directed his way. Shiori is crying too, both because of her brother's distress and because of her knowledge of what's to come.

The maid was quick to approach them, and as she got closer, Shiori recognized her as the common vampire named _Mana_. The young girl was already beside them, ready to voice her questions and concerns. "What's gotten into them all of a sudd—"

Kaname and Shiori's cries turned into high-pitched _shrieks_ when blood splattered across their vision. Mana's body collapsed to the floor in front of them, and before she dissipated into a pile of dust, Shiori's eyes zeroed in on the gaping hole where the girl's heart should have been.

Rido was laughing at the turn of events, shaking the dust from his hand that came from Mana's heart. He stepped forward and onto the pile of the maid's remains, clicking his tongue at the twin's distress. "Now, now…" He purred, bringing a hand up to cup Shiori's cheek. She froze in his hold, much to his amusement. "No need to cry, she meant nothing to you anyway." Rido sighed contently then as he observed her features— tapping Shiori's nose before he pulled away. "You will definitely become a beautiful bride someday."

Pulling back, Rido lifted Kaname up into his arms and prepared to leave, giving Shiori one last look. "Now then, I have things to take care of but don't worry, _pet_. I will be back for you."

Shiori wanted to do nothing more than scream, but all she could manage was a strangled cry before darkness clouded her vision and knocked her into unconsciousness.

* * *

When Shiori Kuran next woke up, it was to the feeling of a warm body cuddling into her as they slept. At first, she allowed herself to believe that it was her brother, but the scent of the infant told her everything. Gone was the smell of hot chocolate and pine; replaced with liquorice and cinnamon.

She knew that the boy beside her was not her brother, and so she would silently mourn Kaname's passing along with her parents— who she knew were just as devastated as she was. Shiori would continue to act as if nothing had changed, because she knew that this was something she shouldn't be aware of.

So Shiori snuggled into the body of her "sibling", basking in the warmth he provided before she drifted back to sleep.

* * *

 **/author's note/** so before you continue reading, let me make it clear that i'm super confused with the timeline in **vk** so there may be things that happen when they shouldn't. feel free to kindly correct me; some changes to the series are on purpose though so be wary if you're gonna get upset about it.

 **special thanks to my wonderful beta,** fortheloveofb **, for helping out with this story, too!**

 **story rec:** creative imperfection by _azureshadowmoon_


	2. life can be such overdose

_ii._

 **chapter two** \- _life can be such overdose_

 **/author's note/** i do not own _vampire knight_ or any of its characters. i only own my OC and any other original characters unless stated otherwise.

 _:-:-:_ theme; _whispers in the dark_ by _skillet :-:-:_

* * *

At a year old, Kaname proved to be a very fast learner. He was already walking around with ease, leaving everyone to wonder if this was the sign of a _genius_ or just good pureblood genes. Shiori was aware that Kaname's past memories had yet to awaken (what with how _childlike_ and innocent the air around him was), so they obviously weren't influencing his fast progress.

Shiori also showed signs of a bright mind, though that was something she did unconsciously— and without trying to. In fact, all her foreknowledge was practically going to waste at the moment...considering how lazy she was. Whatever plans or ambitions she had for the future were apparently on hold, because Shiori would much rather laze around and take naps than put her free time to good use.

"Come here, Shiori~!" Juri called to her daughter from across the room. Beside her was Haruka and Kaname, both watching as the woman attempted to get Shiori to walk towards them. The young brunette didn't seem to be paying Juri any mind, looking more interested in burrowing within the pile of blankets she had gathered.

"We're waiting for you, Shiori-chan." Haruka was much more quiet when it came to encouraging her. Instead of cheering loudly like his wife, the male vampire would spare a few words and shoot Shiori a _proud_ , but expectant, smile. It usually did wonders, but today Shiori was feeling lazier than usual.

Then there was Kaname, who was excitedly clapping his hands together.

' _Resistance is futile, I guess._ ' Shiori sighed at the sight of her cute ancestor before slowly sitting herself up. At the movement, the room suddenly got quiet, and Shiori almost started laughing at how _focused_ her parents looked. They were watching her curiously, eager to see what she would do next. When the small brunette stood up on shaky legs, Juri gasped and gripped onto Haruka's arm.

"Oh~ Look! She's standing up on her own~!"

"I see, love. I see." Haruka said with a breathy laugh, an affectionate look on his face as he calmly removed Juri's hand from his arm. The woman had begun to shake him, jolting his body from side to side.

Shiori began to move toward them, moving one foot in front of the other. Initially, she had thought that something like _walking_ would be easy, but it was actually a bit complicated with her weak baby body. That was part of the reason she hadn't begun to walk yet… She didn't want to make a fool out of herself by accidentally falling on her face. It'd be a lie to say that Shiori hadn't tried even _once_ to start walking on her own. She had been practicing her basic skills on her own for a while now; she just didn't want to present that fact just yet.

"You're almost there, Shiori-chan." Haruka spoke, already holding out his arms for Shiori to walk into. A faint gurgle left the young girl's mouth as she neared her father, holding her own arms out to meet him halfway. Before she could do so however, her feet slipped on the hardwood flooring, causing her to fall backwards. Something akin to a shrill escaped her mouth as her body descended to the floor.

Haruka was quick to scoop her up, preventing her from bumping her head. He held her tight before pulling away and sitting her back down, "Good job!"

Juri was quick to take her husband's place, wrapping her arms around Shiori and pressing their cheeks together. "My adorable daughter! You did so well~!" For a moment, Shiori had wanted to sigh in exasperation, but then Kaname swooped in and planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek in congratulations.

' _There's no helping it, I suppose…_ '

* * *

Shiori was three now and her lazy demeanor had yet to change. She was still as carefree and calm as ever, yet, she was more studious than before. Shiori openly participated in her assigned lessons without too much trouble, and though it seemed like she gave zero percent effort… her grades were always very high. Too bad that couldn't be said for _all_ of her classes.

Shiori curled into a ball beneath her brother's bed, keeping quiet as she waited for the inevitable. This happened whenever music lessons were to be held; Shiori would run off and hide, only for Kaname to drag her to them in the end.

Honestly, it wasn't her fault that her ears were so _sensitive_. She wasn't used to having heightened senses just yet, so being surrounded by all of those loud instruments gave her a headache. Shiori wasn't a fan of pain, so of course she tried to escape the lessons as much as possible. She had yet to succeed even once however… Kaname just seemed to have a knack for finding her.

Liquorice and cinnamon invaded her senses and Shiori knew her time was up. Releasing a sigh, she waited for Kaname to approach her hiding spot. He did so rather quickly, kneeling beside his bed and lifting up the blankets so that he could see underneath it.

"Shi-chan…"

Kaname peered beneath his bed, his reddish-brown eyes zeroing in on Shiori immediately. A small smile fluttered across his features before he decided to crawl under there with her. Shiori scooted over slightly to make room for him, not that it really mattered, as he clung to her side as soon as he was able.

"You should hurry and attend the music lesson," Kaname spoke to Shiori softly, placing his face into the crook of her neck. "It'd be best to just get it over with."

Shiori merely replied with a grunt, curling into herself even more. She would try and resist as much as she could, even if Kaname usually got his way in the end.

"C'mon…" The male pureblood began to whine, "I'll let you nap afterwards so that your headache will go away. I promise to make sure no one disturbs you."

At that, Shiori pulled away from Kaname's grip so that she could face him. A blank expression was on her face, but her eyes were _shining_. "...You promise?"

Kaname grinned, taking a hold of Shiori's hand so that he could link their pinkies together. "Of course!"

"...Okay. You win."

"I know~" Kaname hummed, beginning to crawl out from under the bed. Shiori was right behind him, already suppressing a yawn. Her brother laughed and took a hold of her hand, "Let's go then. We're already late because of you."

"...Mhm…" Shiori quietly replied, not caring in the least.

* * *

Four years into her new life, and Shiori was unsure what the future would bring. Though her only memories consisted of this series, she would occasionally forget them, despite how crucial knowing they are. She blamed herself for that, but at the same time she couldn't be bothered to mope about the loss either.

Losing Kaname (the _real_ Kaname, not his replacement — but she loved them both nevertheless), was supposed to have made her more motivated to change the future and put her foreknowledge to use. Instead, it just made her entirely unmotivated to do anything… as well as sigh a lot. Trauma could do a lot to someone, and sometimes the results of it were very… odd and didn't make sense; Shiori would make the perfect example.

Moving on, this didn't mean that Shiori didn't often _think_ and _plan_ on what might happen or what she could do to change something. She also tried her best to note what kind of aftereffects changing the future would have, but even then, her brain could only stretch so far before Shiori would tire herself out.

All of this led Shiori to one troubling thought: ' _What did my birth change?_ '

In the series, it was common knowledge that Juri and Haruka had raised two children. Kaname was one, while the other was Yuki. Did Shiori's presence mean that Yuki wouldn't be born? If Yuki had only been born so that the Kuran bloodline could continue then… most likely. However, if Yuki coming into the world was only a pleasant surprise… Shiori's head began to throb— this was all too complicated. Either way, it had yet to be seen if Yuki would be born in this universe.

If Yuki was born then Juri and Haruka's fate was most certainly sealed unless Shiori and Kaname could find a way to get _extra_ strong by the time Rido decided to return. This would also mean a lot of complications in the future, including an annoying love triangle and a lot of other tiring drama. Shiori would be content to stay in the shadows during that timeline, not really seeing much she would _need_ to change. The only thing that really jumped out at her was preventing Kaname's death; she'd throw her own heart in the furnace without any problems to avoid that outcome. It wasn't like she _belonged_ in this world, and Kaname would have Yuki so it wouldn't be much of a loss.

Depressing as it was, Shiori was an expert at underestimating her worth to people.

If Yuki _wasn't_ born then the future would be a huge mystery and Shiori's foreknowledge would become useless. She would probably be expected to become Kaname's fiancé too, and while that didn't bother her too much since it was hard to see him as an actual _family member_ due to her reincarnation— a part of her would inwardly say that that would technically be _incest_ , and wasn't that something frowned upon in her previous life? She couldn't be sure as she couldn't remember much of it, but still, the doubt and awkwardness of it all would be there.

In the end, Shiori couldn't answer the question she had asked herself, but that didn't mean she had given up on it completely.

 **xxx**

"Okaa-sama, Otou-sama." Shiori gathers the attention of her father and mother, making them cease their conversation on what was most likely politics… Nothing Shiori had interest in. Kaname sat across from them, his nose in a book that would be beneficial in his future history lessons.

Juri gave her daughter a kind smile, "Yes, Shiori-chan?"

"Am I going to have someone to love like you two do?"

The question caught the elder purebloods off guard; Juri's jaw dropping while Haruka's eyes widened slightly. Kaname had even looked up from his book, suddenly looking very curious about their conversation. The room was completely silent for a few seconds before Juri laughed softly. She shared a knowing look with Haruka before returning her gaze to Shiori.

"Yes, I believe you will. We do not know what the future brings but…" The woman trailed off and glanced at Kaname. "If all goes well then you will find the love that your Otou-sama and I share with someone close to you. Just like we were lucky enough to do."

Shiori nodded with an absent ' _oh_ ' before turning to her spot at Kaname's side. He was watching her, his face looking at the book in his lap while his eyes followed her every move. A small _elated_ smile was on his face, but Shiori chose to pretend that she hadn't noticed it.

The unsaid ' _if all goes well then you will marry Kaname_ ' was apparent enough to the brunette, but she had chosen to be ignorant of that fact, despite how obvious it was to everyone else in the room. Shiori wasn't about to confirm their hopes when she wasn't sure exactly how she felt about that outcome just yet.

With a tired sigh, Shiori leaned against Kaname and prepared to take a nap, but was interrupted by Juri. "You know… We did not expect to have both of you." She and Haruka were holding hands now, and in a position similar to the one that Kaname and Shiori were in. "We had been expecting a boy, but not _twins_. It's almost as if you were born to be together."

Kaname shifted at this, not looking to be upset at their mother's words. If anything, he looked concerned as to what _Shiori_ thought of this information. Her expression had yet to change, but she still remained unsure of her opinion on the topic. It took a moment, but she managed to hide her uncertainty with a rare smile.

Wrapping her arms around her twin in a hug, Shiori used her supposed childish innocence to her advantage, "Kaname is the one who understands me the most! I love him very much, and I know that he loves me too. If we were born to be together, then that wouldn't be so bad."

Haruka and Juri looked amused at the reply, probably thinking that the 'love' Shiori was referring to was much different than the one that they were talking about. Kaname seemed to relax a little at Shiori's answer, and returned her hug with a smile.

Inwardly, Shiori was groaning loudly. ' _Didn't Kaname tell Yuki that_ _ **she**_ _was born to be his wife?_ '

Troublesome.

* * *

Shiori once again found herself beneath Kaname's bed, hiding away from what would be the start of a new lesson. She and Kaname were to begin dance lessons this afternoon, but the young brunette was already dreading it. It's not that she doesn't like to _dance_ (quite the opposite actually) or that the noise would bother her (this music wasn't _nearly_ as loud as the kind they created during their lessons)... She was actually just nervous about having to dance with someone else, since she's so used to being solo.

Inwardly she scolded herself for acting so immature, but after posing as a child for so long, it really isn't hard to develop a _somewhat_ childish mindset. It helped her seem more _normal_ and to blend in, so Shiori wouldn't complain often, unless it caused her to react stupidly to something.

A sense of déjà vu overwhelmed her when the smell liquorice and cinnamon reached her nose, followed shortly by the sound of footsteps approaching her hiding spot. Once again, Kaname knelt down beside his bed so that he could look under it. He didn't hesitate to crawl beneath it this time, having gotten used to his sister's antics.

"Shi-chan," Kaname broke the silence as he stared at the girl beside him, a soft look on his face. Shiori laid on her stomach, being sure to keep her face in her arms to avoid having to look at her brother. When she merely grunted in response, Kaname scooted closer to poke her cheek. "Why are you hiding? I thought you liked to dance?"

An amused smile crossed his face as he continued, "I would know. I've seen you dance a countless amount of times when we're alone. Are you nervous about dancing in front of the instructor?" Shiori shook her head. "Hm, are you worried about the noise? You can just wear those ear muffs Okaa-sama bought for you."

Shiori grunted once again, leaving Kaname to furrow his eyebrows. He was confused about _why_ exactly she didn't want to attend the lesson. Silence grew between them as Shiori continued to sulk and Kaname got lost in thought.

After a few minutes of absently toying with Shiori's hair, Kaname finally spoke again, sure that he had this all figured out. "Are you nervous about… having to dance with a partner?"

Shiori finally nodded, sighing as she rolled over onto her back. Her garnet eyes blinking lazily up at Kaname. A smile was back on said boy's face, slightly irking her because she wasn't sure if it was a smile of affection or _amusement_.

"What?" Shiori huffed.

Kaname shrugged, serene look still present. "Nothing…" His hand found it's way into Shiori's hair again as he brushed it out of her face. Reflexively, her eyes closed at the action, leaving Kaname to unabashedly stare at her face for a few solid moments before she opened them again. "Shi-chan, if you decide to attend the dance lessons— you know you'll get to dance with _me_ , right?"

That had never crossed her mind.

"You think so…?" Shiori blinked up at him, unsure if she should trust this four-year-old or not. "I was under the impression that we'd be dancing with instructor."

"Possible, but wouldn't it make more sense for us to dance with someone closer to our size?"

Shiori's nose scrunched up as she glared half-heartedly at the other pureblood, "You're taller than me."

"I'm close enough though," Kaname laughed.

Eventually Shiori gave in with a sigh, relenting to her brother's logic and allowing him to lead her out from under the bed. If she had to dance with anyone, she would prefer it to be Kaname than some stranger.

As they walked to the room where their lessons were to be held, Kaname took a hold of Shiori's hand and grinned down at her. "Are you excited to dance with me, Shi-chan?"

Clicking her tongue, Shiori kept her gaze forward. "...I"m excited to dance; that's all."

She had denied it, but Kaname knew better— he could never miss the small smile on her face, or the red that dusted her cheeks. They were things that no one else would probably notice unless they actually _studied_ her, but Kaname could spot them instantly. He prided himself in knowing Shiori the most, and hoped that it would always remain that way.

* * *

As it turns out, Shiori and Kaname hadn't been taking dance lessons just for the hell of it. Juri and Haruka were preparing them for the many balls and events they'd have to attend in the future. As purebloods, it was only natural that they became perfect at everything (in the eyes of others anyway).

Several months and multiple dance lessons later, the Kuran twins were told that a ball was going to be held by the Aidō family. Normally, Shiori and Kaname weren't expected to attend such events… However, now they were the perfect age to be presented to the vampire community.

Shiori wasn't too excited for the ball, not really ready to be smothered by a bunch of political strangers… She would probably be expected to interact with other vampires close to her age and even —she shuddered— _dance_ with them. If she were lucky, Kaname would be stuck to her side, possibly unnerving the children who'd want to dance (or had been told by their parents to at least _ask_ ).

Kaname on the other hand, took to social events like a fish to water. He didn't seem overly eager to attend the ball, but he didn't seem grumpy like Shiori did either.

On the day of the ball, Shiori and Kaname were dressed elegantly from head to toe. Despite being so young, it was important for them to leave a lasting impression upon the other vampires… and it had better be a good one. If they revealed any weaknesses, they'd surely be eaten alive.

Being apart of this ball was not only a means to introduce them to the world outside their home, but a test as well. _Would they survive in this world?_ Shiori had faith that Kaname would for sure, and as for herself? Of course. Her supposed indifference to everything would assist her greatly here. Even if she was underestimated for it in the future, the brunette would just use that to her advantage. These older vampires could grow rather cocky and _arrogant_ with their age, thinking themselves so much wiser and _better_ than those younger than themselves.

Either way, Shiori would have to learn to play nice with these people. Mostly for her family's sake if nothing else… She wouldn't care much for what they'd try to throw at her; as long as she could protect everyone else.

Juri and Haruka made sure that they all arrived at the Aidō residence before the ball officially started, wanting to chat with one Nagamichi Aidō while they were still able. Once the ball started, they'd be a bit too busy interacting with the other imposing figures present. As Shiori quickly realized though, this wasn't the only reason…

"Your father and I will be off to talk to Aidō-san for a bit, so why don't you two go and meet the other children that are here!" Juri began pushing the twins towards the maid who had offered to escort them away. "They should be around your age so don't worry too much, okay? Shiori, don't be rude and Kaname, keep an eye on your sister."

Before they could even reply, the maid was leading them out of the room. Kaname was quick to follow her, while Shiori dragged her feet— still comprehending what her mother had said.

Haruka shot them a parting smile, "Have fun, you two."

Shiori and Kaname were led to a room near the back of the large residence. The maid stopped outside the door, explaining that the children were inside before she excused herself to return to her duties. The twins exchanged a look, Shiori appearing unsure while Kaname exuded confidence. "Don't worry, I'm here." Kaname whispered before opening the large double doors.

Three heads were quick to look at the opened doors, eyeing the ones that had interrupted them. The one to react was a boy with golden-blonde hair and electric blue eyes, none other than Hanabusa Aidō himself. The boy had risen quickly from his spot on the sofa, a scowl on his face as he stared down Kaname and Shiori. "Who are you?"

The second boy present sighed, rising from the sofa as well. His hair was a brown-tinted orange, messy in a way that seemed almost natural. Akatsuki Kain's burnt-orange eyes looked _tired_ as he tried to calm his cousin. "Hanabusa… Honestly, could you be less hostile?"

"Show a little respect to your guests!" Ruka Sōuen scolded, much harsher than Akatsuki had. Shiori absently mused that she looked exactly like she had within the series (albeit with a baby face currently); her hair long and toffee colored, and her eyes a rich brown. The young aristocrat's gaze belatedly met Kaname's before she quickly looked away, red in the face.

"I apologize," Kaname spoke up with a calm smile, "Did we interrupt? Perhaps I should have knocked…?"

Hanabusa clicked his tongue, rolling his eyes as he stepped forward. "You think? Just tell us who you are already." His eyes idly observed the attire of the two purebloods. "Are you here for the ball?"

Shiori resisted the urge to roll her eyes because _obviously_ that was why they were here. Instead she continued to watch the situation unfold, her expression as blank as it was when they arrived. It was Kaname that did all the talking, his polite smile still in place as he nodded. "I'm Kaname Kuran— and this is my sister, Shiori Kuran."

The three cousins were struck silent, jaws dropped as they exchanged nervous looks. Ruka broke the silence, "K-Kuran…? As in—"

"Yes." Kaname interrupted, "Juri and Haruka Kuran are our parents. I'm sure you know of them."

 _Know_ of them? The three had basically been taught to worship the ground these purebloods walked on, and here their offspring were, greeting them as casually as could be. Hanabusa was ready to crawl into a hole and die… but at the same time he wondered what was so _great_ about these purebloods: the twins specifically.

"Nice to meet you…" Akatsuki cleared his throat, "I'm Akatsuki Kain— these are my cousins: Hanabusa Aidō and Ruka Sōuen." He gestured to each vampire respectively.

"It- It truly is an honor…!" Ruka bowed her head.

"It's nice to meet you three as well." Was Kaname's reply. Shiori side eyed him, a frown on her face. She was sure that her brother's jaw had to be hurting by now… smiling that much and for so long. "So, what were you doing before we arrived?"

"Ah! We were discussing who we thought might be attending! It's funny, because we were sure that your family wouldn't be present and yet… here you are." Ruka laughed bashfully.

Hanabusa sighed heavily, plopping back down onto the sofa. Akatsuki rolled his eyes at his cousin's dramatics, but sat down beside him nevertheless. Ruka was quick to offer the two Kurans a place on the sofa across from the one her cousins were sitting on.

Shiori was sat directly across from Hanabusa, who seemed to be glaring a hole into her brother's head. She watched him, not bothering to hide the fact that she was staring. Kaname continued to keep conversation with Ruka, while Akatsuki seemed just fine to listen.

" _Stop staring at me._ " Hanabusa hissed after a while of feeling Shiori's gaze on him. Kaname and Ruka's chat halted, their attention turning to the blonde and other brunette in the room. Shiori's lips twitched, revealing her amusement. This only made Hanabusa narrow his eyes in irritation, however. "What's so funny!?"

For the first time since arriving, Shiori finally spoke, her blank expression falling to reveal just how amused she was feeling. Reddish-brown eyes seemed to glint as her lips parted, "Tsundere."

"WHA—T!?" Hanabusa practically squawked, just as surprised as everyone else in the room by Shiori's reply. "T-That's— Who says that!?"

Ruka burst into a fit of giggles, placing a hand over her lips. Akatsuki also looked to be trying to muffle a chuckle into his fist. Kaname looked amused as well, his lips tilting up as he gazed at Shiori fondly.

Just then, the door to the room was once again opened— albeit much more roughly than before. In ran two young girls with blonde hair and warm brown eyes. Both of them looked to be older than the children already present in the room, but not in the least more mature.

"K-Kuran-sama!" The girls exclaimed, bowing to Kaname and Shiori. "We heard you were here and wanted to meet you!"

"S-Sumire! Erika!" Hanabusa shot up, his face still red from Shiori's comment. Akatsuki tugged the blonde's shirt, forcing him back down into the sofa.

"These must be your elder sisters," Kaname spoke as he stood to approach them. Shiori remained where she was sitting, watching the two newcomers with little interest and more disdain. Their voices were much too shrill for her liking. "It's nice to meet you…"

Once again Kaname was caught up in conversing; the two girls fawning over him shamelessly as if he were a celebrity. Shiori could careless, but Ruka on the other hand looked very displeased with the lack of respect that the two Aidō sisters were displaying.

Not in the mood to watch a spat play out, Shiori tried to gain the toffee-haired girl's attention. "What can you do?"

"Wha- Huh?" Came Ruka's confused reply. Nevertheless, her attention was successfully caught.

"Kaname and I have to take a lot of lessons… I assume you have to do the same? Is there anything you're good at?" Shiori paused, tilting her head slightly, "...Maybe something you _like_ to do?"

Ruka's eyes widened before a small gasp left her. Her hands grasped Shiori's cheeks, making the brunette stiffen. " _Ah_ —! You're really adorable, Shiori-hime~!"

This… was not an answer to Shiori's question, but it would do. Taken aback, the pureblood stumbled with her words slightly. "A-Am I…?" Her own hands wrapped around Ruka's wrists, gently prying them away from her face.

Hanabusa snorted, his cheek resting on his fist as he watched the interaction. He'd rather focus on something else than watch his two sisters make a fool of themselves… it was too embarrassing, and only made to add on to the growing hatred he was starting to harbor for one Kaname Kuran.

Ruka nodded her head, bashfully holding her hands to her chest. "Yes, but— To answer your question… I'm really good at sewing. Okaa-sama taught me how to do it recently, but I'm only getting a knack for it now. What about you?"

 _Dancing, of course._ Those words went unsaid, however, as Shiori silently turned her head to stare at the wall. If she said that then the other girl would probably want to dance later once the ball started… or maybe _watch_ Shiori dance? Either way it meant setting up an expectation that Shiori had no interest in meeting… or fail to meet (which was what she was most afraid of). "I—"

"Shiori-chan is very good at dancing. She loves it actually." Kaname returned to the sofa, Sumire and Erika nowhere in sight. Shiori noticeably cringed at her brother's words, glaring at him. He only laughed, shrugging in return, "It's the truth."

Ruka's eyes seemed to sparkle with newfound respect for the other girl, "Really? That's amazing, I hope I'll get the chance to see you dance!" Shiori merely nodded, looking away once again.

Kaname shook his head at her silence, a small smile on his face as he placed his hand over hers. Looking to Ruka he offered a small nod of assurance, "I'm sure that you will; we'll be dancing together after all."

"P-Please save me a dance, too, Kaname-sama…" Ruka requested lightly, only to be met with a stubborn shake of Kaname's head.

"Maybe at the next ball, but not this once… Since it's our first time attending a ball, I don't feel comfortable leaving Shiori-chan alone…" He trailed off, his eyes glued to Shiori. Much to his delight, her face flushed slightly. The red on her cheeks was barely noticeable but still _there_ nonetheless.

"O-Oh…"

A knock on the door sounded before a maid spoke through it, "Excuse me, but the ball should be starting soon. Your parents have told me to escort you to the ball room."

The five children slipped off of the sofas and retreated from the room. Shiori sighed quietly to herself, keeping in pace beside Kaname. Hanabusa led the group, while Akatsuki and Ruka walked beside each other as well.

Shiori could hear the ballroom before they actually arrived to it, the music loud and not pleasing at all to Shiori's sensitive ears. Gritting her teeth, she frowned openly in distaste, resisting the urge to go and hide.

This was going to be _pleasant_.

* * *

According to their parents, Kaname and Shiori got along well with the three cousins they had met during the Aidō family's ball. They weren't completely wrong, but some corrections _could_ be made. Kaname and Shiori certainly didn't have a problem with Hanabusa, Ruka, or Akatsuki. Could the same be said for them, however? _Well…_

Akatsuki Kain was indifferent to the Kuran twins. He found Kaname to be polite, and Shiori to be… odd. Either way, he was civil and kind to them, not showing any ill feelings or disrespect towards the purebloods. Out of the two of them? Akatsuki would definitely rather spend his time around Shiori. The girl was quiet, but obviously smarter than she let on. He noticed that she had a knack for observing and analyzing things; Akatsuki felt that they were the same in that aspect at least.

Ruka Sōuen was probably the only one out of the three cousins that could truly and fully get along with Kaname and Shiori. A blossoming crush for the eldest twin was already present, the young girl find him to be very cute. Ruka respected both of the twins, but not equally. Her opinion of Kaname was higher than the one she held for Shiori.

Though she looked at Kaname as a superior, she saw Shiori as an equal— as a _friend_. The young brunette was simply just too adorable and _pure_ in her eyes. If Ruka was perhaps older and less naive, she'd realize that Shiori would possibly be the one to take away her beloved Kaname one day. Things like marriage and love weren't on her mind just yet however, so her feelings towards Shiori remained uncorrupted by bitter feelings and jealousy.

Hanabusa Aidō's feelings were the most complex. Stubborn in nature and more than a little uptight, it was hard to tell his true feelings by just a single glance. Shiori had called it right: Hanabusa was definitely a tsundere. The blonde could berate and scoff at every little thing that the Kuran twins did, but it would not change the way his eyes always seemed to follow after them when they were around.

At first, Hanabusa kept his attention on Kaname— criticizing the pureblood and mocking him under his breath. He just couldn't understand _why_ everyone seemed to flock to him and _praise_ him like they did. Whenever he remembered how his sisters practically threw themselves at the boy, he would gag. Then… Then he'd take a minute to watch how easily Kaname fit into the stifling environment that was _vampire politics_. The boy was so young, but so elegant and talented. In short, Kaname could only be described as "the perfect child".

Yes, there was Kaname and then there was _Shiori_. Hanabusa's first impression of her was _quiet_ , shy, and in her brother's shadow. He was wrong on all accounts of course, but for some reason, he wasn't too upset about that. Shiori _was_ quiet, but mainly because she didn't quite like talking. She was _not_ shy, and instead was quick to reveal how snarky she could be when provoked. Shiori was not in her brother's shadow, and if someone were to tell her as much she'd say she was using it for shade. Shiori unknowingly emitted her own light, shining brightly in many things— much like Kaname did. The twins were similar, but not exactly the same.

Once Hanabusa had realized that, he _really_ began to look at them. His bright young mind easily differentiated the two twins… He discovered the various quirks and traits they both held and slowly, along the way, his attention began shifting from bright, young Kaname Kuran to one beautiful and captivating _Shiori_ Kuran. Hanabusa hadn't realized that he was more focused on getting to know Shiori at first. He didn't realize that he talked about her most to Akatsuki and Ruka, or that he gravitated towards her whenever they were all forced together for a "playdate".

Or maybe he did notice, but that _tsundere_ part inside of him kept trying to ignore it.

Though, if someone were to ask him— out of the two twins, who he respected the most— his answer would be honest. Hanabusa would say ' _Shiori-hime_ ' without a doubt or any sign of hesitance. A beat would pass and he'd become a flustered mess of course, but the truth would have been spoken all the same.

Hanabusa may have thought that his feelings towards the two twins appeared ambiguous at best on the outside… he'd be wrong about that as well. See, while Hanabusa was examining these two new people that had entered his life, he himself was being watched and observed. Akatsuki and Kaname were very perceptive to the blonde's actions, and it wasn't too hard to put the pieces together after that.

Something within Kaname was stirring…

 **xxx**

Much to Shiori's surprise, despite how fast vampire children developed or how _smart_ they all seemed to be, childish games were not beneath them. It took a playdate at Ruka's house for her to figure this out.

The group of children were outside, enjoying the large and beautifully decorated backyard that was outside the Sōuen residence. "Let's play Hide 'n Seek!" Ruka proposed, an excited grin on her face.

"Hide and Seek…?" Kain echoed, "Will our esteemed guests really be okay—"

"It sounds fun to me," Kaname interrupted with a smile. He was familiar with the game, comparing it to how he had to find Shiori frequently and drag her to their lessons. Ruka cheered while Hanabusa huffed at her antics. Just as the girl was going to explain how they'd decide who was _it_ , Kaname continued, "Shiori will stay with me though." As if to punctuate his statement, his hand grasped onto his sister's.

Hanabusa was the first to protest, his hands clenching into fists as he threw a mini-tantrum. "That's not fair! There isn't enough of us to break up into teams!"

Shiori squeezed Kaname's hand before pulling away from his grip. She understood that to Kaname, it was only natural that they did everything together, but sometimes she'd have to put her foot down— otherwise Kaname wouldn't have room to develop friendships with other people. "Hana-chan's right; we should separate for this."

Hanabusa's cry of " _Hana-chan!?_ " went ignored as Kaname's smile tightened. To anyone else, Kaname looked completely fine. Shiori knew better: that smile was Kaname's own polite version of a frown.

"Really?" The brunette said, voice eerily calm. "I see."

Ruka swallowed nervously, a concerned frown on her face as she watched Kaname. "W-Well, I can sit out for this game… We need someone to be the referee anyway! I-I'll definitely see if you cheat, _Aidō_ , so don't even try it!"

"Why are you telling me that!?" The blonde angrily retorted.

"Hanabusa, calm down…" Akatsuki sighed, "So, Kaname-sama and Shiori-sama are on a team— while Hanabusa and I are on one, right?" Shiori answered with an exasperated sigh and a nod while Kaname took her hand again.

"Let's get started then," Ruka said with a smile. "To decide who's _it_ and who hides first we'll…"

The children began to converse over how to decide everyone's roles. All the while, Shiori's mind stayed on the tight grip Kaname had on her hand. It wasn't enough to make her uncomfortable, but… the action had been quite possessive, and it worried her.

' _Just another thing for me to keep an eye on…_ ' Shiori inwardly sighed.

* * *

Lessons began to take up a lot of Shiori and Kaname's life. Playdates with Hanabusa, Ruka, and Akatsuki became less frequent but they still happened every now and then. Sometimes they'd be lucky enough to meet when their parents needed to get together for one thing or another.

Shiori and Kaname's time together during lessons was cut in half due to their parents wanting to teach them in certain subjects separately. Shiori was unsure of what Kaname was being taught by Haruka, but Juri had been schooling her on things such as etiquette, sewing, and even a little bit of cooking. The cooking was a mistake however— apparently, Juri was terrible at it.

Shiori seemed to be a natural though, taking to the skill almost instinctively. Absently she wondered if she did anything related to cooking in her previous life… It would certainly explain how she knew how to make a cake without even having to glance at the recipe. While that was left a mystery, Shiori _did_ figure out that she _really_ loved white chocolate and cranberries.

Besides those menial skills, Juri was also sure to teach Shiori a little bit in self-defense. Shiori could only accomplish so much in her tiny body, but Juri made sure she did the best she could.

"The least we can do is help prepare your body for future lessons," The woman had said as she assisted her daughter in touching her toes. Shiori inwardly groaned, seeing _gymnastics_ getting added to her ever growing schedule in the future.

When it neared bedtime, Shiori would find herself with Haruka in the library. Sometimes Kaname would be there too, but more often than not, her father would be alone as he silently read a book. Shiori had taken to climbing up into his lap and reading with him until she eventually fell asleep. It was a soothing experience— being in her father's arms. It made her feel protected and safe, no worries or stress came from being in Haruka's arms.

In Haruka's grasp, Shiori was free from all her fears for the future. All the same, however, Haruka's grasp could not prevent what was certainly to come. So one night while she absently listened to her father read aloud from the book in his hands, Shiori's mind began to drift and a _terrible_ thought hit her.

' _What if this reality is not the one I remember?_ '

* * *

 **/author's note/** shiori's last thought is _definitely_ foreboding. it could have many meanings, so i wonder what kind of theories you guys will come up with aha. also in case you're confused, shiori is four by the end of the chapter.

just so you know, i know only a little bit about vampires in this series… my info comes from the anime/manga and wikia page, but even then there isn't a lot on how the whole "vampire" thing works. like idek how they age… what's "18 years old" in vampire years? 18 years old? or something like 200? no idea.

mm! also i just wanna say that the amount of feedback i got on this story was… unexpected. i really didn't think it'd get so much attention right off the bat, but i'm really happy that it did! thank you guys so much, it means a lot that you're finding this story interesting already. guest review responses are below!

 **beta'd by the amazing** fortheloveofb **as per usual!**

 **story rec:** to justice we pledge by _the eternal scribe_

* * *

 **Starfish:** yay~! i'm glad to hear that!

 **Guest:** ah thank you! to be honest, shiori started out as being the middle child.. but i found that less likely to happen, so i decided to make her kaname's twin instead. there was a second where i debated making her _yuki's_ twin, but eh, i've read a bit too many stories like that already so i decided to try something different (though it's been done before).

 **lala:** thank you! i'm glad you like it so far~

 **AFC:** i'm happy to hear that you like the story so far! and yeah, kaname's death really sucks big time in my opinion, because he's basically replaced and forgotten about in the end… true, he was just a baby and didn't really have a personality of his own yet but, eh, it still sucks!


	3. what are we protecting

_iii._

 **chapter three** \- _what are we protecting_

 **/author's note/** i do not own _vampire knight_ or any of its characters. i only own my OC and any other original characters unless stated otherwise.

 _:-:-:_ theme; _whispers in the dark_ by _skillet :-:-:_

* * *

Shiori woke up to a heavy feeling in her chest. Groaning, her reddish-brown eyes cracked open to reveal the bleary scene of her and Kaname's room. A chuckle made her turn her head, squinted eyes meeting her brother's.

The girl blinked a few times before she grasped what exactly was going on, "Kana-chan… Get off…" Shiori began to try and push her brother off, but he remained firm and stayed put on her torso.

"Are you going to go back to sleep once I do, Shi-chan?"

"...No—"

"You hesitated!" Kaname quickly interrupted with a laugh, "I just wanted to remind you about the party tonight. It's being held by the Ichijō family so we're to be on our best behavior."

Heaving a sigh at the reminder, Shiori nodded her head with a pout. She rubbed tiredly at her eyes before sitting up to lean against her brother. Kaname chuckled and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, "Do we have to go…?" Shiori mumbled, dreading the loud music.

"Yes, Okaa-sama said that we were going to be introduced to the Ichijō head's grandson. I hope he's friendly."

"I'm sure he will be," Shiori replied as she hid her face in the crook of Kaname's neck, a knowing smile on her lips.

 **xxx**

Arriving at the party, the Kurans were quickly greeted by the Ichijō family as soon as they walked through the doors of the residence. While Juri and Haruka kept the adults occupied, Shiori's eyes locked onto the kind face of a young boy with forest green eyes and ash blonde hair. For some reason, she found herself smiling back at him, as if he was naturally pulling that reaction from her.

The blonde haired boy stepped forward, bowing slightly before rising again. "You two must be Shiori and Kaname-sama. I'm Takuma Ichijō— It is nice to meet you both!"

"It's nice to meet you, too." Kaname smiled— an action that came easily when around such a polite and friendly person. The pureblood could tell that Takuma's kindness was completely genuine, and not fake like the many other vampires he had met before. His approval of the young aristocrat was instant, "I'm Kaname and this is Shiori."

Takuma's attention switched to Shiori, his smile still present, "I've been told quite a bit about you from Ojii-sama. He said you like to dance? I wasn't able to attend the last ball, so I wasn't able to see you… Could you save a dance for me, Shiori-sama?"

Kaname seemed to stiffen at that, his smile tightening. Spoiled children never like to share their possessions after all… "I will be her first dance of the night—"

Shiori places a hand on Kaname's chest, effectively shutting him up. Turning to a surprised Takuma, she answered the question that had been directed at _her_. "I will, Takuma-kun. I apologize for my brother's abruptness." Kaname huffed a bit at this, a small frown on his face as he looked toward his sister.

Shiori's words sounded awfully monotone, but they were still genuine nonetheless. Takuma seemed to realize this, as he nodded in understanding. "It's no trouble at all."

The brown-haired girl cocked her head to the side slightly, and studied the boy in front of her. He took her attention in stride, not backing away from her stare or blushing. He merely smiled and patiently waited for her to speak again. "Did your ojii-san put you up to this?"

That seemed to catch him off guard, as Takuma's eyes widened before he looked around for any sign of his mentioned relative. When it's obvious to him that the adults have since left to the ballroom —leaving them behind to chitchat— he nodded his head and sighed, "...He said that I should get close to you both but more so you, Shiori-sama."

Kaname took this information in with Shiori. Not one to make assumptions without proper evidence, the male pureblood ventured further into the topic. If he was to declare Takuma untrustworthy, Kaname first wanted to learn of the boy's own intentions and feelings, "Would you have attempted to befriend us regardless—"

"—Or do you only want to be our friends for your family's sake?" Shiori continued.

Kaname nodded, his heart fluttering when his sister finished his sentence— it was physical proof that their bond was _there,_ and it was solid. "We do not like being used," He turned serious then, his eyebrows furrowing as he stared down at the young Ichijō.

Shaking his head, Takuma almost looked offended, "No, I would have liked to get to know you both anyway! O-Ojii-sama just happened to want me too as well…"

Kaname and Shiori's expressions softened minutely. "I see," They said in unison. Though Takuma seemed to be trustworthy enough, they'd be wary around his grandfather from now on.

"We should get going," Takuma said with a grin. "I look forward to our dance, Shiori-sama."

"As do I," Shiori replied with a small smile of her own. Kaname watched the two vampires interact from the corner of his eye, a frown beginning to form once again. Without a word he linked arms with Shiori, immediately feeling comforted by his twin's touch.

As the three made their way to the ballroom, Kaname blocked out the conversation going on between Takuma and Shiori (though mostly one-sided, with Shiori replying only when needed). His thoughts strayed to the conversation he and his father had had during their private lessons.

Haruka had warned Kaname that selfishly keeping Shiori to himself and trying to control his sister was not _good,_ and that it would put the her happiness at risk as well as their relationship. Kaname was told the tale of how his Uncle Rido loved Juri very much. So much so that he became very obsessive of her, and _dangerous_.

Kaname did not, and _would not,_ become like his disgrace of an uncle; like that _beast_. His expression softened into a smile as he looked upon Shiori again. He would never harm Shiori, or force himself on her. If Shiori were to be with him, he'd want it to be because that's what she _wanted_.

Sure, he'd try to influence her decision by spending as much time with her as possible, but in the end, it would all come down to how Shiori felt. If his sister were to love someone else instead of him…

No matter what, Kaname would have to accept that and move on; if he didn't… If he _hurt_ her— Kaname could only hope that someone would put him down. He didn't want to live knowing that he had willingly harmed his beloved sister.

A childlike determination lit a fire inside of him; he would do anything to keep Shiori safe and happy.

* * *

Ruka, Akatsuki, and Hanabusa kept away from the festivities of the ball as they awaited the arrival of their other friends. The trio kept to a more secluded part of the room that just _happened_ to be close to the refreshments table— which they had no trouble helping themselves to.

"Takuma is supposed to be greeting them, huh?" Akatsuki asked as he examined the finger food presented on the table. "Guess he'll finally get to meet them."

With an excited smile, Ruka nodded as she fisted her dress, resisting the urge to twirl in place. She had always enjoyed balls like this; lots of music, beautiful people, and dancing— hopefully she'd even get the chance to dance with Kaname-sama this time! The young girl's rich brown eyes kept watch for any sign of the Kuran twins or Takuma Ichijō, "I hope their meeting goes well!"

Hanabusa scoffed from where he leaned against the wall, a frown marred his face and his arms were crossed. "Those Kurans are probably shunning Takuma already…"

Ruka fumed while Akatsuki rolled his eyes and sighed, "Just the other day you were laughing like an idiot when we played tag with them."

The blonde's face quickly reddened, "Sh-Shut up! I was just _pretending_ to have fun; I was _being_ polite!"

"Well _keep_ pretending then, idiot!" Ruka fussed, glaring at him. "Kaname-sama and Shiori-chan have done nothing to deserve such disrespect!" The girl only seemed to calm when Akatsuki gently placed a hand on her shoulder. She sighed once more before looking at Hanabusa again, "Honestly… You say one thing and then do the complete opposite. Try and be true to yourself more, Aidō."

With that she turned away to continue looking for her beloved Kaname-sama, leaving Hanabusa to glare a hole into the floor. Akatsuki had an amused look on his face as he watched the blonde think over what Ruka had said. Hopefully, the toffee-haired girl's words would get through his thick skull and Hanabusa would start being more honest about his feelings. At times, it could get a bit annoying how much he blatantly disrespected _purebloods_ ; one day, Hanabusa could get in a lot of trouble for it.

"Kaname-sama, over here!" Ruka suddenly shouted as she waved to someone across the room. Akatsuki looked in the direction the girl was waving to see Kaname making his way towards them. He seemed to make it to them without too much trouble, not bumping into a single person or stumbling at all. The young Kuran was truly a natural at being graceful and elegant.

"Good evening~!" Takuma was right behind Kaname, only having to quicken his steps slightly to catch up.

Hanabusa was looking around, ignoring the two new arrivals. "Where's Shiori-hime?" Those around him seemed to jolt a little in surprise (sans Kaname who merely stiffened), not expecting him to openly acknowledge Shiori like that on _purpose_. It was progress.

"Is this all the food?"

Hanabusa, Akatsuki, and Ruka jumped at the sudden voice. The three quickly pivoted to see Shiori looking at the contents of the refreshment table. A small frown was on her face, as if she was disappointed with the selection. Turning to them, her eyes met with Hanabusa's for a second (a breath caught in his throat) before she looked towards Takuma, "...Where are the sweets?"

Kaname smiled affectionately at the question, shaking his head. Takuma chuckled, "They're going to put those out later."

Before Shiori could reply, Ruka had wrapped her arms around the girl in a hug. The brunette merely stood there, allowing the affectionate action as she continued to stare at the fingerfood. "Shiori-chan, where did you come from?!" Ruka asked, being the first to acknowledge the brunette's sudden appearance.

Shiori finally seemed to find something that suited her tastes, as she picked up a small sandwich and began to munch on it. She had just wanted to stuff it in her mouth, but the many lessons on etiquette her mother drilled into her kept her from doing so, "I was here before Kaname and Takuma-kun."

"Shiori said she wanted to find the food, so she went on ahead." Kaname said with a nod, a proud look in his eyes as he watched his sister. It looked like their dance lessons were doing great to keep Shiori silent on her feet.

Ruka gaped and pulled away to stare Shiori in the face, "Why didn't you greet us!?"

Shiori looked away, feeling a bit ashamed at what she was going to say next, "...I was so focused on the food that I didn't notice you."

" _Shiori-chan!_ " Ruka whined as she began to shake the pureblood by the shoulders. Shiori merely stood there and took it, her face void of expression. "That's so rude!"

Takuma laughed at the two girls interaction, while Akatsuki and Kaname watched on with adoration in their eyes. Hanabusa bit his lip, nose twitching as he bitterly wished that _he_ could be that close and expressive with Shiori. With an annoyed huff, the blonde spoke up, "Are we just going to stand here or are we going to start _dancing_?"

"Great idea!" Ruka said excitedly, releasing Shiori. She looked ready to approach Kaname, but the boy was already by his sister's side. With a small pout she turned to Akatsuki instead— she would definitely dance with Kaname-sama after this!

Takuma and Hanabusa stood on the sidelines as they watched their friends join in on the dancing. Takuma looked content at just watching the others enjoy themselves, while Hanabusa glared at Kaname without remorse. He felt more than a little prickly that _he_ didn't get the chance to ask Shiori to dance first… not that he was actually going to.

Kaname and Shiori danced flawlessly across the ballroom, fitting in well among the many other vampires as they performed the waltz. Kaname held his sister's hand, leading her with his steps as he never removed his eyes from her own. A soft smile was on his face, his heart beating just a bit faster when —for once— Shiori showed him a genuine smile of her own.

"You've gotten better, Kana-chan." Shiori spoke quietly to her brother, "You used to step on my feet all the time."

Laughing, Kaname grinned cheekily back at her. "I had to practice a lot to catch up to you Shi-chan. I don't want to make you look bad by messing up in front of everyone." Shiori ducked her head and her shoulders began to shake a bit, letting Kaname know she was laughing. "You've gotten better, too, Shi-chan."

"At what?"

The song neared its end as Kaname lead them back to where they had started their dance, "Socializing. You're branching out more; I was surprised when you spoke to Takuma-san earlier."

Shiori's eyes widened a bit before she looked away, her cheeks a little red at the memory of her sudden boldness, "...Yeah."

"It's a good thing," Kaname said with a smile as he nodded in Takuma's direction. Said blonde was caught in a conversation with the three cousins. "I believe you promised him a dance?"

"...Mhm…" Shiori grunted, giving Kaname one final smile before she walked off to retrieve Takuma.

 **xxx**

Takuma was all too happy to escort Shiori back out onto the dance floor. He and Kaname shared a passing nod, the smile on the latter's face looking a bit forced.

The young blonde sincerely hoped that Kaname wasn't still upset with the little revelation they had earlier… It was true that Takuma's grandfather wanted him to get close to the Kuran twins (for reasons unknown to Takuma himself), but he had been honest when he explained that he would have done so regardless. Takuma hoped they could become good friends.

There was no use worrying about it now… Just like his Kaa-chan had always told him: don't fret over things you can't control. If there was anything he could do, it would be to earn their trust by showing them his words were true.

A new song began to play, and Takuma was shaken from his thoughts. He made to start dancing, only for his eyes to widen when he noticed that _Shiori_ was leading him. When the boy met her eyes, her lips twitched a little and he detected amusement in her eyes, "You weren't paying attention, so I took the lead."

"S-Sorry," The blonde's cheeks warmed in slight shame and embarrassment. Hopefully his grandfather hadn't seen his slip up, otherwise he'd be getting stern scolding later, "I was lost in my thoughts…"

Shiori merely shrugged, spinning them around another couple, "It's okay. I do it, too. My teachers scold me a lot because of it."

Her words sounded insincere with her emotionless tone, but Takuma found comfort in them nevertheless, "I bet Kaname-sama bristles up when that happen; you both seem very close."

An actual _laugh_ left Shiori's mouth, and though it was short-lived, it caught Takuma off guard. The

pureblood nodded her head, "He does actually." Her reddish-brown eyes closed then, and Takuma could visibly see her enjoying the music. It wasn't as loud as usual; Shiori's parents having requested the volume to be lowered beforehand when the ball was still being planned. Normally, such a request would have been ignored, but Takuma's grandfather was always quick to try and please purebloods.

Conversation became scarce at that point, but it didn't seem to be a problem to either Shiori or Takuma. They were both perfectly content with swaying to the music as they led each other. At some point, Shiori had even begun to unconsciously hum to the melody of the music, that _rare_ genuine smile on her face. It made Takuma smile too, and it was then that he decided that Shiori's happiness was contagious.

Not that anything was wrong with that.

* * *

The night went on as everyone enjoyed themselves, and morning was soon to come— which meant the end of the party wouldn't be too far behind it. There was still time left, however, and Shiori was making the best of it as she helped herself to the newly brought out deserts and continued to dance with her friends.

Akatsuki had been her latest partner, though the both of them paid more attention to the pair dancing next them; adoring looks on their faces. Ruka finally got a chance to dance with her beloved _Kaname-sama_ and looked to really be enjoying herself. She was giggling, and her face was slightly flushed— Kaname had even been smiling too, but it seemed more of a _polite_ smile than a happy smile.

That little tidbit made Shiori a little sad, for both Kaname (would he ever find happiness in someone's company, besides her own?) and Ruka (the boy she liked —and would later _love_ — would most likely never return her feelings). Feeling such emotions made her gut hurt, and since she had never had a pleasure for pain, Shiori was sure to drown her thoughts in other things: like delicious sweets, or asking Hanabusa to dance with her.

Shiori stared the boy down as she finished eating her candy, wiping her hands clean on a napkin (her first thought was to lick them clean and then wipe them on her dress, but she was in _public_ and Juri had taught her better than that). She knew that Hanabusa _knew_ she was staring at him, what with the way he kept fidgeting and glancing at her every five seconds (she counted).

During the span of the said five seconds Hanabusa was looking away, Shiori had taken that time to finally approach him. When the blonde glanced over at her again, it was to find that she was _much_ closer than before. His surprised yelp did wonders for Shiori's ego, and confirmed that scaring him was a _great_ form of amusement— which she would definitely note down for later use.

" _S-Shiori-hime!_ " Hanabusa began to fuss, his face red as he regained himself before the blonde quickly looked around to see if his loud shrill had gained the attention of anyone else. So far, he seemed to be in the clear (not including quiet laughter from Ruka and Takuma, but they didn't _matter_ ). "Do you need _something_? Not that I'd help you; especially after what you just _did_."

Shiori merely blinked, all of Hanabusa's needless words going through one ear and out the other. In her mind, the only thing she had actually paid attention to was ' _do you need something_ ', and that was all the incentive she needed, "Yes— Would you care to dance, Hana-chan?"

" _Don't_ call me that!" His face was thoroughly red now, but the way he bit his lip to prevent himself from smiling was enough to let Shiori know that he didn't hate the nickname she had for him as much as he let on (that and his obvious tsundere tendencies). Hanabusa seemed to catch on to the rest of her words though, and quickly switched topics. "Y- _You're_ asking _me_ to dance? Shouldn't it be the other way aro— _Ow_!"

Shiori cut him off with a sharp smack to his skull, an action typically out of character, but required nonetheless. Her face remained expressionless as she spoke, "Enough with your feeble-minded words."

Hanabusa frowned, annoyed and a little more than confused, "Whatever… I don't feel like dancing with _you_ anyway. Why don't you go ask your precious _Kaname-nii_ to dance?"

Jealousy and pettiness were both dangerous emotions, but when played together they were just downright annoying. Shiori resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the blonde in front of her, though they _did_ twitch a little. Her answer was quick, "I do not call him that, and the reason being that I wish to dance with _you_. I wouldn't have asked if I felt otherwise."

This was probably the most Hanabusa had witnessed Shiori speak before, but he didn't seem to notice that fact. Instead, he was caught on Shiori's words… She wanted— no, _wished_ to dance with him? A goofy smile emerged on his quickly reddening face, making him turn away to try to smother it with a forced cough, "Fine," He spoke through his clenched fist, "If you want to dance with me so bad… I guess I have no choice but to accept your offer."

The noble regained himself, a smaller smile replacing his goofier one as he offered his arm to the pureblood beside him. Shiori grunted and looped her arm with his, "Good. If you said no again I would have asked someone else."

"Huh?! I thought you wanted to dance with me, though!" Hanabusa exclaimed with a pout, stopping in the middle of the dancefloor.

Shiori ignored him as they got in position; her hands on his shoulders, while he placed his on her waist. It was only when they began to gently sway to the music that she replied, "That's true, but my patience can only stretch so far, Hana-chan."

She was only teasing him, but Hanabusa still found it in himself to see past the truth and pout instead. "I—" He looked away, blushing once again, " _Don't call me that!_ "

Shiori snorted, causing Hanabusa to _snap_ his head in her direction. He had never heard her laugh before, let alone genuinely smile (or smile at _all_ really), so to hear such a noise come from her… he was more than a little bit excited to see the expression she had on her face. Too bad she was just as expressionless as usual. Briefly, he wondered if she had been too fast. or if he had just imagined the sound after all.

Either way, he felt dejected and disappointed.

Those feelings didn't last too long, as he was never one to sulk for an extended period of time, especially over something so small. Instead, he found himself getting lost in Shiori's eyes as they danced to what was probably the last song of the night. All the emotions that the young Kuran normally kept free from her face, were most usually found in her eyes. Hanabusa couldn't get enough of it; taken aback by the pure joy he could see in them.

' _She's having_ _ **fun**_ _while dancing with_ _ **me**_ _!_ '

This was most definitely the best day of Hanabusa's life.

* * *

Months passed, and soon Shiori was five, along with her twin. During that time, nothing too eventful took place besides the occasional party— thrown by an aristocrat looking to get into the Kurans' good graces. Besides having to attend the parties, Kaname and Shiori were often sent to the Ichijō residence so that they could spend time with Takuma. Other times they'd spend their day with Ruka, Akatsuki, and Hanabusa— as per usual.

Though recently, Juri and Haruka had taken to splitting Shiori and Kaname up… Forcing them to spend time with their friends without the presence of the other twin at their side. While Kaname would be at Takuma's, Shiori would be at one of the three cousins' house, or vice versa. They weren't _always_ forced apart, but it was becoming a common thing to see one twin without the other.

Shiori never asked _why_ this development had suddenly taken place, but she had her suspicions. Their parents were probably trying to prevent them from continuously relying on each other— attempting to make them more independent. It was also possible that they were trying to make Shiori become more social… Then again, this was only what Shiori _thought_ , not what she _knew_.

This forced time apart began to make Shiori think about how odd it was when Kaname wasn't with her. She had gotten so used to him being there that she often didn't give it much thought. Now, however, it was making her nervous— for the future that is.

Shiori could admit that she's grown _very_ attached to Kaname over the years, but despite everything, she still found it hard sometimes to see him as her _actual_ blood-related sibling (even if that wasn't _exactly_ the case). Maybe… _Maybe_ — Shiori could see herself falling in love with Kaname, but definitely not now. They were _much_ too young, and she didn't have any interest in romancing _children_.

Perhaps she'd grow to love him once they became older, but for now, her feelings for him would remain those of intense, platonic affection and adoration.

That much was settled, but what continued to set Shiori on edge was the possible birth of _Yuki_. If Yuki were to be born, a future between Shiori and Kaname would become very unlikely… or maybe shaky at best. Even if romance was not in their future, Shiori hoped that Yuki wouldn't come in between their relationship as siblings — _twins_ — at least.

In the series, Kaname loved Yuki since they were children, and the two had even promised to _marry_ each other. Just thinking about that possibility made Shiori fear that her place in Kaname's life would be erased— that Kaname would turn his attention to their little sister and forget about his twin completely. Her chest felt _tight_ and she suddenly felt sick.

She definitely didn't want things to end up the same way they did between Haruka, Rido, and Juri— platonic or not. Her father and uncle had, at one point, fought over her mother— making the relationship between the three of them unstable. The end result of it all was her _real_ _brother's_ death, and there was no way in hell that Shiori would allow that to play out again.

If it came down to it, Shiori wouldn't fight Yuki for Kaname. She would withstand any pain if it meant her family would be safe and happy. Insecurities were hard to will away, though. So one night as Shiori was curled next to Kaname in his bed, she brought up her worries.

Nudging his chest with her forehead, Shiori caught Kaname's attention. He watched her silently, patiently waiting for her to speak up. Biting at her lip, the young girl finally spoke— her voice close to a whisper, "If we… ever get a new sibling… Would you love them more than me?"

Saying it out loud made it seem very _childish_ ; Shiori regretted speaking up instantly.

Kaname doesn't seem to think the same. Instead, his eyes were wide, and his mouth hung open as if he had been struck speechless by the question. Shiori gave him time to regain himself— much like he had done for her just a few seconds prior.

Slowly, Kaname smiled at her. His eyes crinkled, and he leaned over to peck a small kiss on the corner of her lips, "I could never love anymore more than you, Shi-chan."

"Me too…" Shiori exhaled a shaky sigh, her eyes closing as she rested her head on Kaname's chest. His hands began to gently comb her hair, soothing her even more than his words had. All too soon she was being pushed away, though, Kaname pulling her back so that he could look at her face properly.

His hands rested on her cheeks as he brought their forehead together, "You will always be the most important person to me."

Shiori was taken aback. Before she knew it, her lips were trembling and tears were silently rolling down her face. She nodded her head in understanding — _relief_ — before curling back into Kaname's chest as he wrapped his arms around her. She fell asleep with his words still on her mind, and feeling as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

* * *

It was one of those nice days, when the skies were clear and the weather was calm. Days like that were okay, but Shiori favored the more dreary ones when the weather was wet and damp. She found them _nostalgic_ somehow, and preferred to nap to the sound of rain hitting the window instead of hiding in the shade of trees to get away from the sunlight.

Shiori sometimes wondered what her previous life was like, or if she had multiple lives before this one even. She would never wonder for long however, a small part of her fearing that one day if she thought _too_ much— all of those forgotten memories would come flooding back into her mind. That meant more loss and pain that she'd have to deal with, and the girl was _definitely_ not a masochist.

Some things were just better left forgotten.

So the young pureblood kept herself busy. Whether that ' _busy_ ' related to something productive was anyone's guess. Somedays Shiori would spend her time napping, while others she'd continuously train or study until someone drew her attention elsewhere (' _Vampires can burn out, too, Shiori-chan. Don't overwork yourself!'_ Juri had scolded).

Of course, she wasn't too engrossed with working hard that she neglected her health and friendships.

Shiori stood before Takuma quietly, giving him her full attention. The blonde was putting on a performance, sitting in the seiza position with two props in his hands, one a paper fan, and the other a small cloth. He was telling a story, a _comical_ one at that. It wouldn't be obvious to anyone not close to her, but Shiori was feel very entertained by Takuma's efforts. He had explained before that this was called " _rakugo_ ", and that he loved to play it, or, well— perform it.

Meanwhile, Kaname idly read through a book he had brought with him to the Ichijō Estate, not really finding interested in the ones Takuma had to offer (stacks and stacks of manga volumes, with several types of dictionaries and mystery novels). Shiori herself enjoyed reading books that were in a series. In her opinion, there was no way that every single aspect of a story could be reached through one single book. Multiple books meant more room for character and plot development, whereas one book just left her feeling unsatisfied and incomplete.

Takuma ended his performance with a bow, prompting Shiori to clap her hands. A smile was on the blonde's face when he sat back up, "I hope you enjoyed the performance, Shiori-chan."

"Yes, it was very funny." Shiori nodded, her blank expression never faltering.

Takuma laughed as he stood up, wanting to stretch his legs. His green eyes met Shiori's, "I'm happy to hear that. Would you like some tea now? I'd be honored to serve you some."

Shiori stared up at him, inwardly contemplating the offer before she finally came to a decision. Standing up, she shook her head, "No thank you. I'm tired."

Before Takuma could even offer a solution to that, the pureblood was flopping onto the large bed that was in the room. He blinked a few times before muffling a laugh into his hand; Shiori seemed to already be dead asleep.

 **xxx**

Shiori stirred from her nap silently, her reddish-brown eyes blinking and immediately falling upon the body curled up next to her. However, gaining more consciousness, it'd be more accurate for her to say _bodies_.

Takuma and Kaname lay on either side of her, sleeping soundly. Kaname kept a hand snug around her waist, while Takuma's head rested against her shoulder. Shiori blinked a few times, taking in the odd, yet endearing scene.

The brunette smiled to herself, relaxing as she closed her eyes once again. ' _In that case…_ '

Shiori went back to sleep.

* * *

While Kaname was sent off to hang out at the Aidō residence with Hanabusa and Akatsuki, Shiori was made to have a playdate with one Ruka Sōuen. At six-years-old, the two of them luckily still got along remarkably well— something Shiori was grateful hadn't changed.

The toffee-haired girl continued to hold affection and admiration towards Kaname, but at the same time she had yet to let jealousy and bitterness cloud her feelings towards Shiori. They were closer than ever, if anything.

"Be still, I've almost got it!"

"I'm not moving."

Ruka bit the inside of her cheek, huffing and grumbling under her breath as she continued to carefully style Shiori's hair. Her small fingers were adept at sewing, but when it came to braiding hair they became unbearably shakey. Due to this, Ruka would often stumble and lose her grip on the hair, leading her to start all over again. Shiori didn't mind, sitting quietly and with patience.

"Finished!" Ruka eventually exclaimed, tying the braid and pulling away to admire her (sloppy) handiwork. "Next, let's pick out a dress!"

Shiori shrugged with a grunt, "...No thanks."

"Tch, _fine_!" Ruka lightly pinched Shiori's cheek, making the pureblood frown. "I'll pick it out and _you'll_ wear it! You're just so pretty, Shiori-chan! Take advantage of those good looks, and show off every once in awhile!"

"I'm six."

Ruka groaned and rolled her eyes, moving away to begin looking through her large wardrobe. As she sorted through the various dresses that were hung up, her brown eyes nervously peered over at Shiori, who was still sitting down obediently by Ruka's vanity. "So… Tell me about Kaname-sama."

Shiori blinked, eyeing Ruka's back when the girl quickly turned away again. "What about him?"

"I-I don't know," Her ears were tinted red from what Shiori could see. "What kind of stuff does he like...things like that."

"Hm… He likes dark chocolate candy the most."

"K-Kaname-sama likes sweets!?"

"Not really. Dark chocolate is more bitter than sweet."

"W-What about those sugar cookies I made for him last week?! Did he not like them? I had no idea he didn't like sweets…"

While Ruka seemed to be having a breakdown, Shiori was staring at her reflection in the vanity's mirror. "He ate some, but if he eats too much he'll feel ill so I took the rest. They were delicious; good job."

"I'm so embarrassed… Have I done anything that he doesn't like before…?"

"There was that one time when you pushed me down when we were playing tag."

"Th-That was an accident!"

"I know."

"But Kaname-sama doesn't and that's what's important here!"

Shiori rolled her eyes, turning around to face Ruka again. The toffee-haired girl had since given up finding a dress for her friend, and was now on the floor, slumped against her dresser. "You're stupid," Shiori decided to bluntly comment.

"Shiori-chan!" Ruka was quick to gasp, looking affronted. "How could you say something so _rude_?"

The pureblood merely stared, as if asking: _did you expect anything different?_ Eventually Ruka sighed in exasperation, putting the whole thing behind her as she began to look through her clothes again. After a few more quiet minutes of searching, Ruka finally turned to face Shiori with a cute, fluffy dress in hand. The brunette eyed it dubiously as her friend approached.

Ruka put it against Shiori, eyeing the young girl to take in her appearance. "Just as I thought," She nodded to herself with a grin, "White looks really good on you. How lucky; like a blushing bride~!"

"I'm neither of those things."

"Stop ruining everything!" Ruka huffed, shoving the white dress into Shiori's hands. "Put it on!"

Shiori relented to Ruka's demand, idly wondering if her brother was faring any better with Hanabusa and Akatsuki. The redhead was easy enough to deal with, at least; much better than the two complex personalities that were Hanabusa and Ruka.

* * *

 _Dear Mr and Mrs Kuran-sama,_

 _It has come to my knowledge that you are the current heads of the Kuran family, and therefore direct relatives to one, Rido Kuran. Forgive me for not contacting the both of you sooner, but my mistress has ordered me to keep her and her son's existence away from the public's knowledge._

 _However, as her healthy continues to get worse, I can no longer sit back and allow her to neglect her child as she pleases. Senri-kun is a beautiful young boy with his mother's coloring and his father's physical features, but due to his mother… he has not been able to express himself or venture the world outside the estate. I fear that Senri-kun will continue to withdraw within himself; he has already begun to stop showing his emotions and will not speak unless prompted to._

 _You may have already figured it out by now, but Senri-kun is the son of Michiru Shiki and Rido Kuran. I have never met Shiki-sama's previous lover, but I do know the extent of their history together. The information I possess may not be accurate, as I have obtained it through my own observations and through the mouths of the other maidens that I work with, but I beg that you take my words into consideration anyway._

 _Shiki-sama was Rido Kuran's mistress, and though she loved him deeply, he was only using her as a means to an end. I believe he only wanted an offspring, and yet he has never once showed himself to Senri-kun since the child's birth._

 _My mistress was once a famous and respected actress, so I am sure you know who she is. You may have noticed that she disappeared suddenly five years ago— it was due to her unexpected pregnancy. After her affair with Rido Kuran, Shiki-sama began to grow increasingly unwell, so we were forced to keep her confined within the estate. The order came directly from Shiki-sama's uncle, who helped to look after her when Rido Kuran disappeared._

 _As Shiki-sama's health continues to grow erratic, I find my options limited at this point. The reason I have sent you this letter, Kuran-sama, is because I would like to request your presence at the Shiki Estate. Not just the two of you, but kindly, also the presence of your beloved twins._

 _This is a decision I am making with Senri-kun in mind, not Shiki-sama. I wish for you to meet your nephew properly, and for your children to meet their cousin. While you are here, if you are able to console Shiki-sama, that would be excellent, but not something I require of you. I sincerely only wish for Senri-kun to return to being the young boy he used to be._

 _I hope to see you soon._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Head Maid of the Shiki Estate; Taura Ohori_

 **xxx**

Nearly a week had passed by the time Haruka and Juri finally settled on a decision. They sent a letter back to Taura Ohori, letting the woman know that they'd arrive at the Shiki Estate in a few days, give or take. The couple were still very cautious about approaching the other family, not comfortable with the connection they had with Rido.

For all they knew, this was just an elaborate trap set-up by Rido himself, finally healed and ready to finish what he started. At the same time, however, if everything within the letter they had received was true… they did not want to sit back and allow an innocent child (one of their blood no less) to suffer at the hands of yet another victim of Rido's.

They would not go as far as to take in Senri themselves, but they would allow Kanama and Shiori to visit him, and vice versa. Haruka and Juri were aware of the influence their children had, and knew that if anyone were to make Senri's light just a bit brighter… it would be those two.

* * *

Shiori looked up at the large residence before her, impressed with the size despite being surrounded by large manors for most of her new life. From beside her, Kaname was speaking to their parents curiously, his hand in hers.

"Cousin…?" He asked as Shiori peered over to quietly monitor the conversation.

Haruka and Juri nodded at him. When Haruka went to knock on the large front doors, Juri patted Kaname's head and replied, "That's right. We're here to meet him; I'm sure you and Shiori will get along with him just fine."

"What's his name?" Shiori spoke up, feeling as if she knew exactly who this _cousin_ was.

Juri smiled softly. "Senri Shiki," She looked to Kaname then, "His mother is Michiru Shiki; the actress that played in the old dramas your Tou-chan used to watch all the time~!"

Haruka looked over, a small frown on his face. "Juri-chan, I believe you're talking about yourself, not me."

"Am I? _Whoops_ ~!" The woman giggled impishly behind her hand, making Haruka smile fondly at her. He could never stay upset with her, that much was obvious.

Shiori smiled to herself, snorting under her breath as she looked away. Kaname turned to stare at her, his curiosity sated and leaving his attention to wander. She squeezed his hand absently, continuing to stare at the doors in front of her. Someone was approaching.

"Welcome, Kuran-sama," A maid greeted the family once she opened the door. She bowed her head, "Thank you for listening to my selfish request."

Juri and Haruka had a brief exchange with the young woman before they were all welcomed inside. Kaname pulled Shiori by the hand, taking the lead as he followed after their parents.

"Shiki-sama has locked herself in her room, but you are welcome to try and coax her out of it if you like. Senri-kun is in the library, studying like his mother requested."

Haruka glanced back at Kaname and Shiori, "I think it'd be best if Shiori and Kaname met their cousin while we chat with Shiki-san." Juri nodded along with her husband, reaching to place a hand on Shiori and Kaname's shoulders.

Shiori allowed herself to be ushered in the direction of the library, recalling how Senri's mother was initially unstable within the series. Knowing that, she had no problem with never meeting the probably dangerous woman.

"Here we are," The maid opened the large double doors that led to the library. "Senri-kun, the Kuran family is here."

Shiori stood rooted to the spot as she watched a young boy, no older than five, appear from behind one of the many shelves within the library. He had short, mahogany hair that matched his mother's. His eyes… They were a lightly-tinted blue that resembled Rido's right eye significantly.

Shiori stiffened when her gaze connected with Senri's, memories of the night her original twin was sacrificed suddenly clear in her mind. She looked away, breaking eye contact quickly.

Kaname's brows furrowed at his sister's obvious discomfort. The boy was quick to try and redirect Senri's attention to himself instead. "It's nice to meet you," He greeted with a polite smile, "I'm Kaname Kuran and this is my sister, Shiori."

"These are your cousins, Senri-kun," The maid added helpfully with a nod.

Juri and Haruka introduced themselves right after, stepping forward with kind and reassuring smiles on their faces. Shiori watched as Senri stared blankly throughout the whole scene, never once reacting to what was going on. She'd be creeped out if she was anyone else, but Shiori was also someone who rarely expressed emotions, so Senri's behavior was nothing new, in her opinion.

Of course, Juri and Haruka weren't unnerved by their nephew's blank stare either, far too used to seeing the same look on Shiori's face. Instead, they simply took it in stride, remarking how it was nice to finally meet him, and that he was always welcome to come over to their own residence whenever he wanted.

"We're going to go meet Shiki-san, now," Juri said as she patted Shiori and Kaname on the cheek. "You three have fun, okay? Behave." As if they really needed to be told that.

Juri, Haruka, and the maid that had brought them to the library disappeared soon after that, leaving the three children alone.

Kaname remained polite, turning to try and initiate some small talk with the younger boy. Shiori watched the attempt half-heartedly from the corner of her eye, a bit more focused on the various books that surrounded them.

' _I wonder if they have anything good in here..._ ' She thought to herself, tempted to wander off and leave Kaname to handle Senri. She was curious to get to know this new character, but at the same time she wasn't sure if she'd be able to handle someone so similar to herself. It was more like she didn't _know_ how to handle someone whose personality shared such similarities to her own.

"Shi-chan," The girl looked up when she felt Kaname tug at her sweater, a tight smile on his face. "I hope you're not planning to run off."

Shiori shook her head, but it was obvious to her that Kaname had sensed her intentions right away. With a roll of her eyes, Shiori faced Senri. The mahogany-haired boy was watching them with indifference, his hands twitching at his sides as if he'd rather be off reading than interacting with them.

Shiori couldn't blame him.

Fishing for something inside the pocket of her sweater, Shiori pulled out several pieces of wrapped candy. "Here," she presented them to Senri, "White chocolate."

It was her way of trying to break the ice, and maybe make the young boy feel more comfortable. Her attempt seemed to work somewhat, because Senri tentatively took one of the candies from her outstretched hand, though he made no move to eat it. "Thank you," was his quiet response.

Kaname smiled, relieved to see that Senri wouldn't be _impossible_ to interact with. Shiori seemed to be able to handle him just fine.

"Should we play a game?" Shiori asked, looking up at Kaname, and then to Senri. She didn't sound too excited at the idea, but looked ready to tolerate any activity if it led to a better relationship with their newfound cousin.

"...No thanks," Senri seemed to share the same thoughts as Shiori; their similarities made Kaname smile. Maybe if their cousin looked more like Shiori, people would mistake _Senri_ for Shiori's twin instead of himself. Kaname resembled Shiori somewhat, but her hair was darker and messier, not to mention her eyes had a more brownish tint than his own.

"We don't have to do anything if you don't want to. Just sitting down and reading would be okay with us."

Shiori nodded in agreement to Kaname's words. Senri nodded too, but more so in understanding. The younger boy turned on his heel and disappeared amongst the many bookshelves. Shiori wasn't far behind him, thus Kaname was left to trail behind the two.

"You like to read?" Shiori asked once the three of them finally come to a stop.

Senri shrugged, plopping down on one of the cushioned chairs that was tucked in the corner. It was placed right beside a window, allowing the setting sun to shine through and provide some warmth to his skin. Shiori noted that he seemed more relaxed now; his shoulders slumped and eyes half-lidded. She hid a snort beneath her hand, and didn't even flinch when Senri's eyes snapped up to meet her's.

"You come here to sleep?"

Senri nodded, shifting slightly when Shiori sat down in the seat beside him. Kaname remained standing, aware that his presence had been somewhat forgotten at this point. He didn't mind too much, taking the time to observe his cousin and sister's interaction.

"It's quiet here," The youngest supplied. _It helped to get away from everything._

Shiori nodded, acknowledging the unsaid words for what they were. "That's okay," She hummed, eyes closing as she got more comfortable in the chair. "I like quiet places, too."

 _I understand._

Senri watched Shiori closely, blinking slowly as he began to fully take her in. "Yeah," He said finally in a soft voice. The candy in his hands rustled as he opened it and stuck it between his lips.

 **xxx**

The Kurans left the Shiki Estate with the promise to visit again, as well as extending an open invitation for Senri to come over whenever he liked. Unsurprisingly, Senri seemed to take to Shiori the most out of the twins. That didn't mean their comfort levels were high, but it did mean that their cousin was willing to open up around them and let them in (or just Shiori, at the least).

Kaname wasn't too irritated or concerned with that fact, not seeing a threat in the younger male. In Kaname's eyes, Senri was just a young boy who lived with an abusive and twisted mother, who had damaged him to the point of becoming doll-like. Oh, and he liked sweets.

On the way home, Shiori replayed the visit in her mind, and accessed what she could remember from it all. So far it appeared that Senri was the exact same as he was within the original series, which made things easier to predict and deal with in the future. She didn't particularly mind if she'd managed to get in her cousin's good graces or not, but obtaining a new friend was always fun.

They had thought the rest of the day was to go on as usual; Juri and Haruka taking care of the pureblood duties while Kaname and Shiori either studied or lazied around. However, instead of going straight back to their unofficial routine, Kaname and Shiori were whisked off to the living room as soon as they returned home to have some tea and cakes with their parents.

An event like this wasn't unusual, but it normally popped up casually instead of abruptly. This obviously meant that Juri and Haruka had some news for them…

Shiori kept quiet, playing along with her parents' attempt to ease them into whatever it was that they wanted to speak about. Kaname did the same, but he was obviously suspicious, if the furrow of his eyebrows were any indication.

"Did you have fun today?" Juri asked as she poured everyone a cup of tea. _Peppermint_ ; Shiori's least favorite. If Haruka and Juri were trying to bribe her, they were doing a poor job.

"Yes, we enjoyed getting to meet Senri-kun." Kaname answered for himself and Shiori; she nodded in agreement. "When will we get to see him again?" The brunette asked, more for his sister than himself.

"Perhaps next week…?" Haruka replied, glancing to his wife for confirmation.

She nodded with a grin, "Next week will be a perfect time! However, that's not what we really wanted to talk to you about."

"Okaa-sama is something wrong?" Shiori spoke up, her face scrunched up in concern. Kaname shared the same expression.

Juri chuckled, waving away her children's concern. "Everything is just fine; there's no need to worry! Your Otou-san and I just wanted to let you both know something…" The woman took her husband's hand.

"...What…?" Kaname trailed off cautiously.

"Shiori, Kaname— You're going to be a big brother and sister!"

* * *

 **/author's note/** hm, so i was wondering.. where the heck does kaien live? i know during the main events of the story he lives in a building on campus but… was it like that when yuki and zero came to live with him too? or did they move onto campus later on.. i have no idea lol,, i mostly need to know so i can continue to plan the story. i only have until chapter thirteen outlined!

also a quick note that since _this_ universe of vampire knight is an alternate one, events that happened in canon may take place earlier or later than expected.. or maybe not at all~ not only that but an alternate reality will mean that there is a high chance for new and different events/threats to appear. so keep that in mind!

once again, a billion thanks to my awesome and patient beta: **fortheloveofb** !

 **story rec:** "stars and shadows" written by

* * *

 **Guest 01:** thank you! i'm happy to hear that you're loving the story so far as well as your thoughts on my writing omg :D it made me really _really_ happy lol. sometimes i doubt myself, but then i get wonderful reviews like this and i feel inspired again~ and referring to your inquiry about kaname's memories: they'll restore soon enough in the future.. i have something planned that'll trigger them to return.

as for rido (i was unsure if you were confused on this or not so i've decided to explain just in case) the reason for his sudden absence is because, in the series, he sacrifices the original kaname to awaken the _ancestor_ kaname, who in a starved frenzy attacks and feeds from rido (wounding him greatly) and then turns himself into an infant and seals away his memories. you know that much, i'm sure, since you mentioned it! ^^ juri and haruka have mentioned him [rido] but only in passing as they believe shiori doesn't remember him (since she was so young when he used to visit a lot). you saw in this chapter an example of them mentioning rido, so i hope that answers your question!

 **Guest 02:** lol yes, i think it's pretty cute too~ though it'll probably pose as a problem in the future as he gets older, so it's best to address it now. kaname will probably chill a bit with it once he gets his memories back, but for now we can bask in his childish innocence aha. also no worries when it comes to hanabusa's sisters; they won't be making too many appearances. oh! thank you for the random fact; i actually didn't know they did that :0 so that's nice to know.

 **Guest 04:** aha i'm glad you like the story so far, but be warned! i haven't stated anywhere that this is going to be a kaname/shiori/zero love triangle so,,, don't get your hopes up too high.

 **Guest 05:** aha we'll have to see where the pairings go in the future. i don't know if i'll include any side pairings,, but you never know!

 **Guest 08:** kaname doesn't have his memories back just yet! he'll get them back soon though~ in the anime/manga, it says that he seals his memories when he turns himself into an infant. it never did say when he got them back though, so you'll just have to wait and see when that'll happen in this story~ thank you for the review btw!

 **Guest 09:** omg thank you~! i'm glad i managed to restore your hope aha, and that you find my writing to be good ^^ honestly, i was a bit unsure on how i was doing considering i don't really write in the third person pov a lot.. but hearing you say all that really reassures me that i'm not as bad as i may think, so thank you once again!

as for the idea of that oc, i think it's a pretty interesting concept! it also looks like something you've thought over a lot~ though unfortunately the type of personality she has doesn't really appeal to me ;( so i probably won't write something like that, but you never know~ i might change my mind one day and attempt to try it out. nothing's wrong with trying new things after all! thanks for sharing your idea with me.

 **Guest 10:** haaa, yeah i've never been a big fan of her either tbh

 **Kairi:** no worries, i get exactly what you mean! i love kaien to pieces tbh,, he was so loving and caring to zero and yuki. it kind of upset me whenever they turned down his affections or out right said stuff like "you're not my father" like sheesh at least be nice to the man that took you in and raised you. i think that it'd be a nice thought for yuki to be born as kaien's actual daughter but! even if this may be an alternate universe, impossible things like that most likely won't happen. if kaien _were_ to have a child though, it wouldn't be yuki because genetics and what not aha, so it'd just be an oc.

 **Noria:** aha you're actually not the only person who thinks so~ i'm surprised with the amount of people that have thought about this theory, tbh :0

 **Trix:** ahh! bless you, you gave them a ship name omg :D it's so cute too,, "kaniori" amen it's perfect. lol

 **Cloe:** ooh you think so~ it's great to have your input on that! i'm happy to welcome another kaname/shiori shipper (or as _Trix_ put it, kaniori) into the fray. tbh i don't have a set ship for shiori but it's really nice to see you guys shipping her with people :') makes me feel like she's a pretty worthy character.

 **Vi:** more fluff moments are to come!

 **ren7720:** thank you for the reviews! i'm glad you liked the last chapter~ as for yuki's birth, i'm sure this chapter answered that for you ^^

 **Starfish:** aha no problem, i hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much. and i'm glad you like shiori's character so far! i haven't really gotten a chance to really _show_ who she is, but i hope people get a better insight of her as she continues to grow and interact with others. lolol and great! i'm definitely going to be posting some otome fanfiction in the future so look forward to that ^^

 **Bella:** i agree that that is the most likely outcome, especially once kaname regains his memories. no matter how much he might want to keep shiori to himself, he'll know that that is not the correct thing to do; nor will that equal shiori's happiness. thank you for sharing your thoughts~!

 **Ginny:** aha nice to know i've managed to get you shipping them already,, and it's funny because it was never my intention to do that, but a lot of you guys have already fallen in love with the thought of them together! it's really cute~ ^^

 **Hinata:** another shiori x kaname fan!

 **Shiname:** aha, you guys should know that the majority of this story is planned out already. so i won't be including/adding in huge things like "yuki being kaien's daughter" upon request, though the theory is a nice thought! the only thing i haven't really figured out yet is the endgame pairing, so feel free to throw your ships at me lol

 **Kina:** lolol yeah i hear you, i hear you. a lot of people have said the same. but don't get your hopes up for unrealistic/impossible things like that ^^; eheh,, like i said before: this may be an alternate universe but that doesn't mean the "impossible" will become "possible".

 **GeneralJo:** thank you for the review and all the kind words! rest assured that i will not be giving up on this story, and even if i were to do that, i'd let all of you know before hand. so rest assured~ aha and thanks again for the compliments, especially the grammar one since i tend to make a lot of mistakes if i'm not too careful.


	4. you get too close

_iv._

 **chapter four** \- _you get too close_

 **/author's note/** i do not own _vampire knight_ or any of its characters. i only own my OC and any other original characters unless stated otherwise.

 _:-:-:_ theme; _whispers in the dark_ by _skillet :-:-:_

* * *

Kaname spoke animatedly, latching onto Juri as he gushed about how _he_ was going to be a big _brother_. The boy even directed his attention to his mother's stomach, speaking loudly and slowly, as if the being inside could hear him.

Haruka and Juri laughed goodnaturedly, sharing happy looks with each other. They were relieved that their news hadn't been taken harshly, though, a part of them hadn't expected it to, anyway. Kaname and Shiori were not known to be selfish brats (despite how lazy Shiori could be sometimes).

Despite the warm and joyful atmosphere, the scene was not completely perfect.

As the amused laughter died down, Haruka's head turned to where his daughter stood. The smile slowly slipped from his face, and in its place was an expression of concern.

"Shiori? Are you okay?"

The young girl was frozen solid, her face void of expression. It was like she wasn't really there, her mind lost in the workings of her thoughts.

"...Shi-chan?" Kaname spoke when the voices of Haruka and Juri failed to rouse his sister. It seemed to do the trick, as Shiori blinked a few times before focusing back on the three in front of her.

She allowed a small smile to assure them that she was okay, "Sorry… I was just wondering if I was gonna have a brother or sister. I'm really excited." Monotone still in place, as if her voice was suddenly filled with emotions, it was sure to raise some red flags.

Kaname seemed to buy her lie (albeit dubiously), as he only furrowed his eyebrows before continuing to paw at Juri's stomach. Unfortunately, the two older purebloods were not so easily deceived, though they did let it slide.

The conversation turned to various topics (the baby's gender, the due date, which room were they going to get, etc). Shiori was wise enough not to let her mind _completely_ wonder for a second time. She kept part of her attention on her family (nodding along and grunting when applicable), but another part continued her musings from earlier.

Yuki was on her way now; due to be born in nine months time. Shiori felt a little uneasy on what this could mean for her and her loved ones' futures. Yuki was probably going to cause a _whole_ _lot_ of doom and destruction, but there was one thing Shiori knew for sure…

She was going to love and protect her little sister, no matter what. Even if Yuki's birth would result in Kaname being separated from her; even if it meant her parents would eventually succumb to their fate. Shiori would still love Yuki, because none of this would be her fault.

Fate was the only thing to blame, and maybe even Shiori herself. She knew what the future would bring, and yet she would have failed to change and prevent it.

' _Looks like we'll just have to see how things go._ '

* * *

"Why are you here?"

Shiori was as blunt as ever, eyeing her younger cousin with a curious glint in her eyes. From beside her, Kaname looked surprised to see Senri as well, though he refrained from repeating his sister's question (despite how much he truly wanted to know the answer to it).

Juri laughed lightly at their antics, whereas Haruka only smiled and placed a hand on Senri's shoulder before speaking. "Due to certain circumstances, Senri will be staying with us for the night."

Shiori was quick to noticed the way Haruka's smile tightened, how Senri seemed to stiffen a little, and how Juri did her best to laugh off the tension in the air. The woman gently gestured for Senri to join the twins, "Now, go on! We're going to settle a few things, so give Senri-kun a tour of the place."

Kaname smiled politely at Senri before nodding to his parents. "Okay, Okaa-sama!"

Seeing that the young Shiki was in good hands, Haruka and Juri disappeared down the hall and into Haruka's study. Shiori watched them go, while Kaname began to distract Senri with tedious small talk.

' _Something must have happened with Senri's mother_.' Her eyes glanced over to examine her guest. His skin remained unblemished, and unnaturally pale (a recurring theme when it came to vampires, she had noticed). ' _It doesn't look like she hurt him… That's good to know, at least._ '

"...and we were going to come and visit tomorrow, so this is a nice surprise! I hope you'll enjoy your stay here, Senri-kun." Shiori caught the ending of Kaname's sentence as she tuned back into the real world.

"Yeah," Senri replied, his hands stuffed in his pockets as he looked anywhere _but_ at Kaname.

Kaname became quiet after that, easing off of Senri a bit. Shiori sighed, digging through her pockets, and retrieving a piece of candy. She placed the small sweet in Senri's hands before walking away. "Let's show him the gardens, first."

Looking outside at the warm and inviting sun, Kaname agreed with a nod, "That's a good idea."

The gardens behind the Kuran Estate were tended to daily, and taken very good care of. Each season, new flowers would be planted to accommodate the change in climate and temperatures. So, flowers that would normally rot in the cold clutches of winter, were switched out for ones that would thrive.

Though the sun was certainly out —and very, _very_ warm— the temperature outside was still very cold. A breeze would show up every few minutes, as well, making Shiori shiver every so often while Kaname and Senri remained unmoved. It seemed like she was particularly sensitive to the cold somehow, and she didn't like it one bit.

Due to this, the three children weren't outside for very long. They didn't need a nagging maid to call them inside; they had no trouble scurrying back inside the warm mansion by their own will.

What little Senri got to see, however, he liked. The boy said so with a nod of his head, gazing back at the plentiful greenery through the windows once they were back indoors. "I like the ones with the silvery, blue-green leaves…"

Shiori knew immediately which flower he was referring to. It helped to have a rather vast knowledge of flowers and other kinds of plants; a subject she had taken on by herself, and without the nudging of her instructors. "They're called honeyworts."

"Weird."

"Next stop is the library," Kaname piped in with a smile. He was already halfway down the hall, clearly ready to finish up with this tour. Shiori couldn't blame him really; she'd much rather be napping in her room than mindlessly walking around her home. Despite how rude this attitude could be perceived from a normal guest, Senri looked as if he shared the twins' thoughts, yawning every so often.

"How old are you?" Shiori asked suddenly, curious of her cousin's current age. She didn't think to ask before, she hadn't really cared.

Senri paused for a minute, his eyes staring blankly into the carpet beneath him. After a moment of silence, he held up two fingers. "Ohori-san says I just turned six."

Shiori glanced from Senri's eyes to the fingers he was holding up. Kaname looked at them too, a confused expression on his face. Before he could question it, however, Shiori silently corrected Senri before asking, "Can you count?"

"No," was his quick response.

Shiori sighed heavily while Kaname yelped a bit in pure shock, his polite persona shattering in two for a moment. He gained his bearings a second later, blinking his eyes, "Y-You don't take lessons?"

"I do," Senri shrugged. "Okaa-sama hired instructors for me."

"...What do they teach you?" Shiori asked, almost dreading the answer.

"Sewing, dancing, how to play instruments…"

"What about math, reading, writing…?" Kaname trailed off. Senri shook his head, not understanding what the big deal was.

Kaname and Shiori shared a look before coming to a mutual understanding: they needed to do something about this.

"Good job, Senri," Shiori praised her cousin, a rare smile appearing on her face for a single moment. Senri was a bit taken aback with the sudden emotion on the girl's face, but the only thing that showed his surprise was the sudden blinking of his eyes.

Senri had been praised before, but never like this. He felt more encouraged at Shiori's words, and his heart swelled with pride. This was nothing like the apathy he felt when his mother praised him, or even the passing joy when Ohori-san spoke fondly of his accomplishments.

Shiori made him feel better and, glancing at the grinning face of the other brunette, Kaname did, too. It was too bad that Kaname didn't understand him like Shiori did, otherwise Senri would feel more comfortable around him.

"You're a very fast learner," Kaname stated as he went through all the math problems Senri had managed to complete without error. "I guess we can move on to a different subject now…"

After they completed the basics of math, Shiori and Kaname moved Senri onto reading, and then writing. Last was history, which Senri seemed the least enthused about.

"We — _vampires_ — have been around for over ten thousand years." Shiori explained their species' history as if she was reciting it directly from a book. The information had been burned into her mind after all the history lessons she was forced to attend (punishment for always falling asleep during them). "We first appeared when the human civilizations began to crumble—"

"Human?" Senri interrupted, a look of confusion on his face.

"They're the lesser race," Shiori explains. "They're not like us, though they may look the same. They're mortal, and weak."

Kaname frowned at her explanation, not liking the tone of disdain she used. He spoke up, trying to clear up any bad impressions Senri might have been given about humans. "Humans are very smart, though! They've invented various things that even us vampires use."

Shiori shruged, not having much to say to that. She didn't really hate humans, but she hated the fact that her kind had to hide what they were from such a… lowly race. Vampires could wipe humans off the face of the Earth if they wanted to— Oh, and if the Hunter Association didn't exist; can't forget that.

"Anyways… Vampires used to be at war with humans, in which the Purebloods —vampires like Kaname and I— began recklessly turning multiple humans into vampires. As our numbers increased, a monarchy was eventually established to rule over our race. Among these vampires—"

"Who are Purebloods again, exactly?"

Kaname smiled. "Purebloods were the very first vampires to appear. They have never mixed with humans, so their blood remains _pure_. We are one hundred percent vampire."

Shiori nodded before continuing, glancing at Kaname as she spoke her next words. "Among these vampires, was the ancestor of the Kuran family: Kaname Kuran." She could see Senri open his mouth to ask another question, but Shiori quickly continued, "Kana-chan was named after him, if that's what you were wondering."

Senri nodded silently.

"Like I was saying," She continued once again with a frown. "A monarchy was established to rule over the vampires, and the Kurans were selected to be the royal family. However, a long time ago, our ojii-san abolished the monarchy and thus, the Vampire Council was formed."

"Wow…" Senri sounded even more disinterested than before.

Kaname laughed softly, "We know it's a bit boring, but it's something you need to know."

Senri shrugged before releasing a yawn. Shiori snorted, "Let's end the lessons for the day and go take a nap."

Though Senri seemed happy with that decision, Kaname merely sighed. He didn't say anything against it, however. They all deserved a nap after all the work they did today. It was a well deserved reward.

* * *

Shiori hated the winter season. Her body wasn't made for such freezing temperatures; her bones aching constantly when exposed to it. Somehow, though, she still found herself frequently in the middle of it.

All for the sake of spending time with her friends. Of course, it had more to do with Kaname scolding her about becoming a _hermit_ , actually.

Shiori and her brother found themselves at the Kain manor during one particularly cold day. They weren't alone, Hanabusa and Ruka were present as well. Takuma, however, was unable to come due to kenjutsu training. Shiori had even invited Senri, but he bluntly stated that he would prefer to stay home and do nothing rather than play in the snow with strangers.

Despite the missing members of their makeshift group, the five children were determined to still have fun. _Most_ of them anyway.

" _No._ I'm _not_ going to skate on the lake! It's way too cold today! Ice-skating i-is childish, _anyway_." Hanabusa was the only one who seemed to think this, as the rest of the children were already ready to venture out towards the nearby lake, ice skates in their small hands.

Ruka groaned, rolling her eyes. Akatsuki merely watched as Hanabusa threw a tantrum, probably trying to hold back a _heavy_ sigh. Kaname and Shiori also remained silent, though the latter of the two watched the blonde aristocrat with an observant eye.

Shiori's eyes strayed from Hanabusa's obviously _forced_ annoyed expression (he was trying desperately to hide his anxiety by acting like a brat) to the pair of skates that he had dropped at his feet. They looked untouched; _brand new and never used_.

"Ah," The brunette mumbled her understanding aloud. Hanabusa didn't know how to skate.

Kaname briefly glanced at her from the corner of his eye before returning his gaze to Hanabusa. He intended to try and placate the fussing blond, but Shiori beat him to the punch by stepping forward.

Not wanting to embarrass Hanabusa, Shiori kept his true feelings to herself, and didn't reveal that she caught onto why he _really_ didn't want to go ice skating. For now, she merely played along with his complaints about it being too cold.

"Here. Now, you'll never be cold again," Shiori unwrapped the pale, blue scarf from her neck. She gently placed it on Hanabusa, making sure it fit snugly around his neck. Before she stepped away, Shiori was sure to whisper an assurance in the boy's ear— "I don't know how to ice skate either; we can learn together."

Hanabusa's face was beet red by the time Shiori moved away. She pretended not to notice, even as he belatedly jumped backward and screeched that she shouldn't invade his personal space like that.

"Can we go, now?" Ruka huffed, impatiently tapping her foot.

Kaname smiled politely. "I don't see why not. Please, lead the way, Ruka-san."

Ruka's eyes widened, and her face went red before she bashfully nodded. From beside her, Akatsuki finally released that long sigh he had been desperately trying to hold back.

Kaname wore a warm smile on his face as he lead Shiori around the lake. He stared at his twin with utmost affection, feeling his heart leap in his chest. He was happy just from _gazing_ at her.

His stare went unnoticed by Shiori, however, as she was too busy staring at her feet and trying to keep her balance to pay attention to anything else. That included the annoyed scowl Hanabusa would shoot at her every now and then.

An impatient Ruka was trying to teach him how to skate, but apparently he wasn't picking it up as quick as his cousin would like. The blonde couldn't care less how irritated Ruka got; he was more stuck on the fact that when Shiori said they could learn together… he thought she meant that she'd be holding _his_ hands. He thought they'd be sliding along the ice unsteadily _together._

Instead they were literally just learning the same thing at the same time, but with different people.

' _Tch,_ ' Hanabusa couldn't help but grumble under his breath.

"Come on, move your feet! You're not gonna learn if I just drag you the whole time!" Ruka fussed after Hanabusa stumbled over his feet yet again, knocking them both over. The blonde merely rolled his eyes and glanced over at Shiori as Akatsuki weakly helped him to his feet.

Shiori had a small grin on her face as Kaname dragged _her_ across the frozen lake. The twins were laughing to themselves, enjoying their time together. Hanabusa's face twisted in annoyance before he turned to snap at Ruka. "Shut up, I'm doing my best! Just look that _them_. Kaname doesn't seem to be having _any_ problems with pulling _Shiori_ across the ice!"

Ruka's face grew red in embarrassment at the revelation, "S-So, that's different! Kaname-sama is stronger than me. He can do _anything_!"

" _Hah_."

"W-What's that supposed to mean!? Don't disrespect Kaname-sama with your doubts!"

In the end, it was _Kaname_ that taught Hanabusa how to skate despite the boy's many protests and grumbling. Shiori was traded off to Ruka and Akatsuki, who linked arms with the girl and happily enjoyed their time skating around the perimeter of the lake.

Ruka and Akatsuki tried not to go too fast since Shiori was just a beginner, however, Shiori seemed to have other plans and increased their pace whenever she could.

"Sh-Shiori-chan be careful!" Ruka exclaimed after they made a sharp turn and _barely_ prevented themselves from falling into a pile of snow. Shiori just snorted.

After a few more hours of skating, the group finally retreated inside to warm themselves by the fire. Each of them had a mug of hot chocolate (an amazing _human_ invention, Hanabusa had exclaimed) in their hands, eagerly sipping at the beverage as they talked about mundane things, such as when the next ball would likely be.

Overall it was a good day, and as Shiori leaned against Ruka's shoulder while the girl gushed over her brother, she definitely thought they've all gotten closer somehow. Even the sour mood Hanabusa had was lifted; he smiled into his mug and tucked the scarf Shiori gave him tighter around his neck.

He sat on the other side of Shiori, glancing at her every so often before he finally leaned close. Hanabusa was only there for a few seconds before he retreated quickly to start up a conversation with Akatsuki. His face was red, but he tried to play it off as he complained about how sore his butt felt after falling on it so many times. He had stayed near Shiori only long enough to whisper a ' _thank you_ ' in her ear.

It had been just a whisper, but Shiori had heard it loud and clear.

* * *

Shiori and Kaname's seventh birthday was a quiet affair. The Kuran family held a small feast within their estate, choosing to keep to themselves as Juri's pregnancy progressed further and further.

The twins were, of course, spoiled by their parents (and even some of the servants) on their special day. Shiori would never get used to receiving a multitude of useless things. She still appreciated them greatly, however—feeling grateful to receive anything at all.

For the most part, this birthday was a lot like all their previous ones. However, there was _one_ difference…

"What's this?" Shiori asked her brother, grasping the thin box that had been forced into her arms. It hadn't been with the rest of the presents, so Shiori was a little unsure as to what it's purpose was.

"It's for you," Kaname smiled warmly.

"Me?"

"Yes, Okaa-sama helped me get it for you. Happy birthday, Shi-chan!"

Shiori continued to eye the box skeptically, but eventually began to unwrap it. Her garnet eyes gleamed with curiosity as she finally revealed what was hidden within it.

It was a bright red scarf that was _certainly_ too long for her now, but she knew that she would eventually grow into it. Despite its tremendous length, she still planned to wear it as soon as possible— even if that meant she'd be tripping over it every time she walked.

"It's beautiful. I needed a new scarf, too…" Looking up from the box, Shiori took notice of Kaname's elated expression and allowed him a rare smile. "Thank you, Kana-chan."

"Let me help you put it on," Kaname was quick to offer as he practically snatched the accessory from Shiori's hands. He wrapped the scarf around Shiori's neck, though there was a lot left over, hanging from her shoulders and brushing the ground. "I know you needed a new one." His smile became tight. "Since you gave your other one to Hanabusa-san."

Shiori only nodded, amusement on her face that was partly hidden beneath her oversized scarf. Digging through her sweater's pockets, she pulled out a small box of her own and handed it over to Kaname.

It seemed they had the same idea this year.

Kaname smileed as that exact thought crossed his own mind, gently taking the box from Shiori hands. He wasted no time in opening it, but stopped short upon seeing what it was.

Shiori fidgeted silently, staring at anything that _wasn't_ Kaname for the time being.

What Kaname pulled out of the box was a necklace; a silver chain with a purple orchid charm in the centre of it.

"It's perfect…" The boy trailed off, mesmerized as he continued to stare at it. Wordlessly, Shiori approached and helped hook the piece of jewelry around his neck. As she pulled away, he captured her hand in his own and smiled "It's because our name means _nine orchids_ , right? Thank you, Shi-chan— I love it!"

 _Truthfully_ , Shiori thought to herself, _the gift has nothing to do with our surname_.

Once upon a time, Shiori recalled when Kaname gifted Yuki with a rare rose that bloomed only once every ten years during the cold season. She remembered how special such a gift was to Yuki— Shiori wanted to give Kaname something just as significant and meaningful.

She hoped he would treasure that necklace as much as she would treasure the scarf she wore around her neck.

* * *

"As you know, purebloods have some very special and unique powers. Of course, noble vampires may also find themselves gifted with an ability— it's not as guaranteed as it is with purebloods, however."

Haruka had Shiori and Kaname in his study, lecturing them about a certain topic they had already learned during their private lessons. The man knew this, but since the twins had recently turned seven, he thought that they were more than more than old enough to begin learning about what kind of powers they could have within themselves— lying dormant until then.

"I'm going to have both of you perform a series of tests. It's important that we discover if you have any hidden abilities, so that we can train them and prevent any accidents from happening in the future."

"Understood," Kaname spoke for him and his sister. There was an excited spark in his eyes, whereas Shiori looked as indifferent to this as usual. It was almost like she had been expected something like this to happen eventually; it would not surprise Haruka in the least if she had. His little girl was a genius, no matter how lazy she was.

Haruka had Kaname take his tests first, deciding it'd be easier to detect any results if he focused his attention solely on one child at a time. At first, none of the tests seemed to be bearing any fruit, but the very last one managed to yield some results.

"Kaname-kun, I want you to try and move this pebble from my hand— Not with your hands, but with your _mind_."

Kaname spent a few minutes just staring at the smooth rock. As Haruka and Shiori watched on patiently, the pebble finally began to vibrate in Haruka's hand. The man smiled, ready to congratulate Kaname on his ability to use telekinesis, when the pebble flew across the room and directly into a vase, shattering it into pieces.

"Well, I think that settles that," Haruka huffed out a breath, shaking his head at the development.

Kaname eyed the broken vase in shock before sheepishly bowing his head in his father's direction. "Sorry Otou-sama…"

"No worries, Kaname-kun," Haruka ruffled the boy's hair with a warm smile, "Congratulations on your new power. Now—" He looked to Shiori, "Let's see what you can do, Shiori-chan."

 **xxx**

None of the tests seemed to yield any results, and the usually apathetic Shiori found herself furrowing her brows in frustration.

' _How can I protect everyone if I'm weak? There's no way I can defeat someone like Rido without any kind of special power backing me up._ '

Haruka noticed her irritance and gave her a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, Shiori-chan. Just because you don't seem to have any powers now, doesn't mean they won't develop later on as you grow. I didn't unlock some of my own abilities until I was a teenager. The same can be said for your Okaa-san as well—," He stopped then, an idea forming at the mention of Juri.

"Shiori-chan, you see that rod on display over there? Try and pick it up."

"This one?" The young brunette asked once she made it to the shelf it was displayed on. Haruka nodded, and at his confirmation, Shiori lifted the odd pole-like thing up with ease. It was a little heavy for someone of her stature, but she could easily hold it in one hand without too much trouble.

Haruka released a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He smiled, chuckling to himself. Shiori and Kaname shared a look before the older of the two spoke, "Otou-sama? What is it?"

"Looks like Shiori-chan has an ability after all," He shook his head. Juri was going to be ecstatic when she found out. "You can wield anti-vampire weapons; just like your Okaa-san. The rod you're holding is one of them. It's called Artemis, and I know it doesn't seem that dangerous now, but trust me when I say that looks can be deceiving."

Shiori narrowed her eyes as she examined the weapon. "What would have happened if I wasn't able to wield it?"

"It would have burned you, but don't worry—," He quickly added when Kaname gave him a shocked look, "It's nothing that wouldn't heal right away due to our pureblood genes. It would hurt, yes, but I believe that Shiori-chan could handle it." He pinched her cheek teasingly, making her glare at him. "You're a strong girl, after all."

"Thanks, Otou-sama…" Shiori grumbled, swatting his hand away.

"That was still really dangerous!" Kaname protested with a frown. "What if Shi-chan got seriously hurt?"

Haruka's expression became stern. "I would never let that happen. If I thought touching Artemis was lethal, I would have your Okaa-chan keep it locked away. I will never let harm come to you both, understand that."

Shiori took Kaname's hand and nodded at their father. "We understand, Otou-sama."

Out of everyone there, Shiori knew what lengths Haruka was willing to go to in order to protect his family the most. She knew so very well.

"We'll protect you, too."

Haruka smiled warmly at that, ruffling the twins' hair. "I have no doubt."

"Say, why does Okaa-sama even _have_ a weapon that can hurt vampires?" Kaname asked.

"Not all vampires are good, Kaname-kun. You'd do well to remember that."

"Like Level E vampires?"

"Yes, but even others, too. Level C vampires… Level B… Even some purebloods are rotten on the inside. That's why you must always be careful when it comes to those you don't know. Know _them_ before they get to know _you_."

"Of course, Otou-sama."

* * *

A dinner party was to be held at the Ichijō's in order to celebrate Takuma turning seven.

Just by glancing at the invitation, Shiori could tell that Takuma's parents planned the whole thing. The blonde would have just been fine with inviting his close friends, but appearances must be kept (according to the Ichijō's) and thus a large celebration _must_ be thrown.

You would think that if a pureblood family could have a private affair, so could the lesser families. Perhaps they thought themselves better than that? Shiori couldn't be sure, but would not be surprised if the nobles thought they were somehow better.

' _There's always going to be someone like that_.' She couldn't help but roll her eyes to herself.

Due to Juri's growing stomach, she wouldn't be attending the dinner party with the rest of the Kuran family. However, upon Shiori's request, Senri would be filling in the woman's spot; even if she _did_ attend, Shiori would have tried to weasel Senri into the event anyway.

Shiori thought that it would be good for Senri to immerse him in the world outside the mansion he has stayed confined in all the time. She swore that the only place he'd to that _wasn't_ his home was the Kuran estate.

Originally, she hadn't wanted to throw the boy into such a large event right away, but instead slowly work him into social events (starting with the little playdates she had with the others). Unfortunately, Senri seemed to always be busy with something, so now would just have to do.

Upon arriving, the Kurans faced the usual sugary sweet greeting they were typically met with. No one questioned Juri's absence, having been under the impression that she was busy with other affairs for a while now (Shiori wasn't sure how long they would buy it, but for now it seemed to be doing the job). Instead, all the attention fell to Senri.

"Who is this beautiful child? I thought Kuran-sama only had two children..." one vampire asked, and soon it was like a domino effect. Senri was surrounded by the nobel vampires, standing straight and frozen from where he was glued to Shiori's side. The girl was tempted to ditch the boy to his fate, not enjoying the touchy adults invading her space in order to get a look at Senri, but ultimately stayed put when she realized he'd started to tremble.

Gently guiding him closer to her, Shiori stared dully up at the adults. "If you'll excuse us, we'd like to greet the birthday boy."

"Of course, Kuran-sama!" There was a chorus of, "Excuse us for keeping you, Kuran-hime!"

Their attention shifted to Haruka as soon as Shiori managed to maneuver herself and Senri out of the tight-knit crowd. The man was left to deal with the curious aristocrats, and Shiori silently pitied him. She had forgotten that Senri's existence was kept secret until now, so she wondered what her father would say to the crowd.

"Are you okay, Senri-kun?" Kaname asked, having slithered away from a group of women that had been gushing over him.

Senri shakily nodded, sighing heavily. His eyes were half-lidded. "I hate this place."

Kaname laughed while Shiori smiled "Sorry, Senri-kun, but this is something you'll have to get used to."

His words only made the boy huff.

"Shiori-hime!" Hanabusa was the first of their little group to find them. He rushed over to greet Shiori, and it was only then that he took notice of the other two boys that were with her. "Oh—" he sounded a bit dejected, "Good evening, Kaname-sama and—" Hanabusa scrunched his nose in distaste as he eyed Senri, "—who are _you_?"

Senri merely blinked owlishly and held onto Shiori's dress. The girl gestured to him. "This is Senri Shiki; he's our cousin." She looked at Hanabusa as if she wanted to turn him into stone. "Be nice."

Hanabusa visibly shiverd (Kaname preened with pride on the sidelines) and shakily smiled at Senri now. "O-Of course I'll be nice! I'm always _nice_ , Shiori-hime." Clearing his throat, the blonde shot Senri an obviously fake smile, "I'm Hanabusa Aidō— it's very nice to meet you, Senri-san."

"Hmph."

" _What?!_ "

"It's nice to see you as well, Hanabusa-kun." Kaname smiled politely, quickly trying to diffuse a fight in the making. Some of the adults were already looking their way and giving them scrutinizing glances. "Where are the others?"

"They're at our table; Takuma requested that we sit away from the adults. You'll have to steal an extra chair for Senri, though. He only prepared for the six of us."

"Care to lead the way, Hana-chan?" Shiori asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That's why I'm _here,_ of course." The boy huffed as he turned on his heel and lead the three children into the large dining room that the party was being held in.

Entering the room, Shiori could see her father had found his way without too much trouble. He sat near the head of the table next to Takuma's parents and grandfather. The room wasn't as packed as she thought it would be, so finding him had been relatively easy. Of course, the dinner party wasn't as large an event as the balls were, so there were considerably less people.

"Shiori-sama, Kaname-sama!" Takuma was the first to see them approaching, and excitedly got out of his chair to greet them with open arms. He wrapped Kaname in his arms for a hug before doing the same to Shiori. "I'm so happy you could make it, and I see you brought a guest with you—" Takuma smiled kindly as he turned to Senri, who was still glued to Shiori. "Hello, I'm Takuma Ichijō, it's nice to meet you!"

A little taken aback by his civility, Senri's mouth fell open in slight surprise. "Hello…"

"This is Senri Shiki; our cousin. He's new to these kind of things…"

Takuma nodded in understanding, "Don't worry, Senri-kun— we'll protect you from socializing. We do the same for Shiori-sama, after all!"

Kaname laughed at that, "Happy birthday, Takuma-kun. Thank you for having us."

"No need for thanks! You're my friends; of course I invited you!"

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Kaname disappeared to find a seat for himself, offering up his own chair to Senri, who immediately plopped down in it. Shiori sat beside him, while Ruka took up her other side.

"Thank goodness you're finally here, Shiori-chan!" Ruka huffed "I was getting tired of listening to my stupid cousin talk about you."

"And she doesn't mean me," Akatsuki chimed in, shooting Hanabusa a smirk.

"I-I was _not_ talking about her!" Hanabusa immediately argued. The blush on his face was terribly incriminating, however.

Ruka snorted, rolling her eyes. "Anyways— Introduce your cousin to us!"

Shiori sighed, looking to Senri before pointing to the two people he had yet to learn the names of. "You've met Hana-chan already, so these are his cousins: Ruka Sōuen and Akatsuki Kain."

"Hn," Senri grunted, nodding to them for a brief second before returning to toying with his silverware.

Shori snorted at the flabbergasted expression on Ruka's face and the amused one on Akatsuki's.

Ruka stuck her nose in the air. " _Tsk_ , poor manners must run in the family."

"Oh, does it?" Kaname asked, having returned with a chair. He slid it in between Senri and Akatsuki before sitting down. A polite smile was shot Ruka's way— the girl was immediately reduced to an embarrassed mess.

"N-No offense to you, of course, K-Kaname-sama!"

"Any offense to my family is an offense to me, Ruka-chan." That sickening smile was still on his face, making the words stab at the girl even more.

She shrunk in her chair just a bit, "A-Apologies then, Kaname-sama…"

Hanabusa groaned loudly, "Enough with this drama! When do we eat, Takuma?"

"Huh? Hm, I think—" Takuma was interrupted when his grandfather stood from his seat and gently tapped his glass to gain everyone's attention. "—now," the blonde finished with a cheeky smile.

 **xxx**

For the rest of the evening, the group of children idly chat and indulge on the large feast that was served to them. There was a moment when the lights dimmed and a large cake with a dozen lit candles was brought out; Takuma was ecstatic.

Senri seemed to fit in well enough. Due to his and Shiori's similarities, the others had no problem with figuring him out. He never spoke, choosing to quietly eat his food and listen to the conversation rather than participate in it. Kaname and Shiori were the same, though the both of them reply when prompted.

Even that seemed to be too much for Senri, though he _did_ grunt at times to acknowledge whoever was talking to him. Everyone seemed to accept his behavior; all except Hanabusa, who just found it annoying.

"Can't you speak for yourself?" He tutted angrily, "Stop being a baby."

Senri took the harsh remark with a cool stare. He didn't outwardly show any reaction, but with the cruel words and expectations Senri had received from his mother… she could only imagine that it struck a nerve.

"No need to be so rude, Aidō-kun…" Takuma chided with a frown on his face. Hanabusa's face heated up at being called out, but he didn't back down.

With an annoyed huff, he crossed his arms and looked away. "Whatever. You guys can be all friendly with him if you want, but _not_ me! I don't have to do anything; especially not for wimpy babies like him!" Before anyone could stop him, the blonde had already slipped out of his seat and marched out of the room.

Akatsuki sighed heavily, making to get out of his seat to follow after him. Ruka stopped him with a firm glare. "No, let him go and throw his tantrum. Honestly, I don't know _why_ he's acting like a complete brat! That idiot; it's Takuma-kun's birthday and he's making it all about himself…"

"Sorry about this Takuma," Akatsuki apologized to the blonde, before looking to the other boy who was targeted by his cousin's fit of anger. "Sorry to you, too, Senri. We don't know what his problem is."

Takuma nodded in understanding, pushing his plate aside as he finally lost his appetite. "Honestly… He was perfectly fine a few hours ago." He chuckled, "He wouldn't stop talking about Shiori-sama and Kaname-sama. I think he really looks up to you both; maybe he's feeling a bit jealous of the relationship you share with Shiki-kun. I mean, he _has_ been attached to you for most of the night."

"That is probably because we are the only people here that he knows," Kaname reasoned with a smile.

Shiori agreed with a nod. "We're the only ones here that he is comfortable with."

"I see…" Takuma hummed before giving Senri a bright smile. "I hope that'll change in the future. I hope to be your close friend, Shiki-kun!"

Senri blinked.

"He doubts it, but appreciates the effort nevertheless."

"All that from one blink, huh?" Akatsuki asked in disbelief. He resisted the urge to sigh; this was all too weird.

Not a moment too soon, Hanabusa came storming back into the dining hall— obviously still fuming.

"Hey!" He shouted as he rushed back to the table. "Why didn't anyone follow me?" There was a pout on his face, and Shiori was amused to find that he was sulking.

Ruka rolled her eyes and scoffed. Not even for a second was she going to be taking any of the nonsense Hanabusa had decided to bring with him. "Just up, Aidō. You're giving me a headache with your senseless tantrums."

"Sit down. This is Takuma's birthday dinner, _remember_? Keep it up and I'm sure you'll hear an earful from your parents later." Akatsuki tried being a little less harsh, side-eyeing Ruka as if trying to make a point (being _too_ rude and crass with Hanabusa was _not_ a smart method).

Hanabusa mee Shiori's eyes as he went to sit back down. He quickly looked away, his face heating up as he grumbled in annoyance.

"Why don't you like, Senri?" Shiori askd, straight to the point.

"W-Why?!" Hanabusa asked incredulously, not having expected the question at all. "W-Well, I mean— Where _is_ Senri?"

Ruka sneered. "What do you mean? He's right here, idiot— Hey, where's Senri?" The girl started looking around the room curiously, along with the rest of the children at the table.

Takuma chuckled humorlessly. "It seems like his sneaking skills are on par with your own, Shiori-sama."

"It seems so."

"Come on," Kaname got out of his chair, "Let's go and find him. He probably hasn't gone far…"

 **xxx**

Kaname was right in saying that Senri didn't go far. It wasn't long until they sensed his presence inside a room not too far from the dining hall. Shiori commented that she doubted Senri would expend the energy by walking somewhere far, especially if he had no real reason to.

The room they found him in was the library, where he was out cold on one of the couches.

"Figures," Shiori muttered as she stared down at the sleeping boy.

"It's amazing how fast he fell asleep… Does Shiki-kun like libraries?" Takuma asked.

Shrugging, the female pureblood gently toyed with her cousin's hair. "Just sleeping in them. They're quiet."

Hanabusa groaned "Can we just wake him up and leave already? I'm getting tired just standing here."

"No one asked you to stay!" Ruka yelled, startling the sleeping Senri.

Before the two cousins could go head-to-head, the mahogany-haired boy rose from the couch with a messy bedhead and a dark look on his usually expressionless face.

"Ah, he's angry."

"Thanks for letting us know, Shiori-sama…" Takuma replied dryly.

* * *

As Juri's pregnancy progressed, she was confined to their home and the estate's security increased greatly. Shiori was used to her mother's complaining by now; she growled about how she hated being confined like this, but understood the need for it.

 _It doesn't mean I have to like it—_ she would fuss before Haruka gave her a reassuring peck and calmed her down. Shiori couldn't help but hum at the scene of pure love; it was such a foreign thing to her. She wondered if she would get to attain that feeling someday.

Did she want to? Maybe. Did she really care if she didn't? No.

Shiroi had more important things to worry about than a future relationship, no matter how often it seemed to pop into her mind. That was mostly her parents' doing, however, as they always had to cling to each other.

Moving on, Shiori could sense that her mother was going stir crazy.

So, when one night, Shiori saw her mother sneaking outside and into the night… She was not very surprised. The young girl merely blinked at the scene before turning away and continuing to read. If anyone asked, of course she'd pretend to have been too absorbed with her book to have noticed anything _odd_.

She told Haruka exactly this an hour later when he barged into her and Kaname's shared room. The man honestly looked frantic, and yet, his tone did not reveal that much when he tried to subtly interrogate her and Kaname.

It didn't get too far, as soon the sound of the front door opening got their attention. The scent that followed was of daffodils and roses; Juri was back. Another one mingled with hers, however, making Shiori frown at its oddity.

The smell of a vampire… but also a human? Intermingled?

Shiori followed after Haruka as he rushed to see his wife; Kaname was not that far behind his sister.

The twins were nowhere near as fast as their father, so by the time they finally reached the bottom of the stairs he was already fussing over Juri and giving a stern look that promised a lecture sooner rather than later. That wasn't what Shiori focused on, however.

No, she was more interested in the stranger that was with her mother. The man stood tall without any signs of wavering, despite the bloody wound on the side of his head.

Kaname glanced at her, just as confused as she was. They both knew the man wasn't a danger, though. Why else would Haruka and Juri not react to him? Even so, Shiori couldn't take her eyes off of him.

She had seen him somewhere within the jumbled mess that was her memories, but she could not place who he was and what his purpose to this world was. All she knew right now was his _smell_. The smell of a human— but also a vampire? It was a confusing thing.

"Who are you?" Kaname took the initiative, interrupting his conversing parents.

Juri blinked owlishly before smiling brightly and roughly pulling the man forward by his coat sleeve. "Oh, that's right! You haven't met my two lovely children!"

She roughly smacked the man's back when a grumble of _there's more of you_ was heard, making him groan loudly. Shiori and Kaname both cringed a little; that definitely left a mark.

Once again, Juri spoke as she gestured to the odd man, "Kaname and Shiori— I would like you to meet my dear friend, Kaien Cross!"

' _Oh_ ,' Shiori thought numbly, ' _That's who he is._ '

* * *

 **/author's note/** i recently learned that hanabusa, ruka, and akatsuki only met kaname _once_ when they were children. they only met him again years later, so yay there's something shiori managed to change by being born. kaname and shiori's attachment to each other raised concerns in both haruka and juri (since they were worried the twins would never become independent and would always rely on their sibling). so they made sure kaname and shiori would be surrounded by others around their age, thus forcing them to branch out and make some friends.

 **disclaimer! very important psa!  
** this chapter was beta'd by the amazing _fortheloveofb_ god bless and amen.

*coughs* also to help clear up the final scene… in canon, juri first meets kaien when he attacks her while she is pregnant with yuki. they become friends, juri asks him to move in with them so he won't go down a dark path, he refuses her offer and eventually they lose contact. they get into contact with each other again while juri is still pregnant with yuki. this time they meet while juri has snuck out of the house (aka this is present time within my story). again, kaien attacks juri, she kicks his ass and etc.. she makes him promise to make a school where humans and vampires can coexist (the future 'cross academy'). in canon, the scene ends there but i'm expanding on it.

 **story rec:** "how the heart races" by _paper . bullets_


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